Threads Between Two Worlds
by Anatherin
Summary: What happens as the wall between worlds begins to shatter?When Zack finds himself thrown into the FFVI world when confronting Genesis in Banora after the Nibelheim incident,he'll meet new friends and make new enemies. Soon,however,events begin to spiral into a violent mess that none of our heroes expected...As canon as possible, considering the plot.Not completely Zack centered.
1. Introduction

~/*7*\~/*7*\~/*7*\~/*7*\~/*6*\~/*6*\~/*6*\~/*6*\~

There is always that moment; one that most everyone knows. It is in the breath of calm before a storm, and in that moment of blissful blankness when one plunges beneath the water. But then it must always pass without hint of when such a time will come again. And when it does, the storm breaks and our heads seem like to burst for want of air. So it was with Zack Fair when he broke at last through the sickly green liquid and glass of Professor Hojo's test tube. And so it was when Terra Branford dropped from a hazy sleep into a consciousness where the only thing she knew...was her own first name.

~/*7*\~/*7*\~/*7*\~/*7*\~

His mind whirred to catch up with his body; humming like a laptop coming off sleep mode when it's opened. Faces in his mind barely registered; a scientist was there. Zack lunged, giving the punch more weight than skill. The man crumpled, out cold. There was only one other face to recognize. Floating in mako, looking pale as death, was Cloud Strife. Still stumbling from lack of previous movement, Zack fumbled with the controls and glanced up at his friend's face.

The older of the two's face contorted in a moment as his fast-acting mind at last clicked; now filled with flashes of returning images. The helicopter crash in the snow-covered mountain, a familiar but slightly green face at Junon, fire and smoke erupting from the village of Mount Nibel, Masamune protruding from the chest of his best friend. Then the images changed, accompanied by the sound of screams and the stench of blood and mako. Hojo. What had happened?

His attention shifted back to the present as the mako in the tank before him began to drain, and upon opening the door, caught the smaller man as he fell limp in his arms. _We need to get out of here. NOW. _Zack's thoughts ran on determination. Pulling one arm over his shoulder, the black-haired SOLDIER guided his friend out of Shinra Manor. He wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

Zack Fair gasped at the sight that greeted him. Whatever he expected to see of the ruined Nibelheim was not what he saw. The town was rebuilt so well that for a small moment he wondered if he had dreamed the whole thing. Then he shook his head upon looking back at Cloud, who still sat slumped against the gate of the mansion as Zack scouted ahead. Anger rose in the former SOLDIER as the retreated to Cloud's side. He had seen a blue-clad infantryman enter the town. Shinra. "What is going ON?" he muttered to his friend, though by now he knew that Could wouldn't answer. He looked at him closer. It was probably mako poisoning.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Zack felt his natural smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Anyone who knew him would say he was inextinguishable. "I suppose we could go back inside for now," he said aloud. "It seems more dangerous out here than in there...at least the upstairs floor, that is." Here he felt a pang of fear. "But we should get ourselves together, eh?" He ruffled Cloud's hair as he pulled the smaller man back onto his feet. Zack wondered whether he would have grown more is not for the mako...and whatever else.

Having half-dragged the unresponsive Cloud up into one of the bedrooms and finding a dry pair of clothes for him, Zack started to pace as he tried to come up with his plan. Restlessly, he dropped into a round of squats; counting them in an attempt to get his thoughts in order. A small idea leaked into his brain. _The Basement. Find out what happened, Zack. _He gulped, but shook himself in a shuddering sort of way. "I'll be right back, Cloud. There's something I need to do."

~/*6*\~/*6*\~/*6*\~/*6*\~

"Uggh..head...hurts," choked the girl as she numbly looked around her. She almost wished she could fall asleep again. In the moments before her awakening, she had had the strangest feeling of a light, buoyed walk on the edge of a great fog; that though stifling had been like a hug from the air. It was then that she felt the first grasp of cold, and she shivered; becoming aware of the weight of a heavy blanket pressing on her small but formed body.

A man came rushing in at the sound of a voice. He gaped at her, exclaiming, "You're awake! Incredible! And I've just removed the crown!" He walked over to a table and held up a sleek metal band as proof. The girl shook her head, not understanding but feeling a minuscule sliver of foreboding inch into her at the sight. But the man seemed to understand. "This is a Slave Crown. It...robs the wearer of both thoughts and free will," he continued with some hesitation.

_Slave Crown? _The girl tried to recall hearing the term, but instead gasped and cried out. "I- I don't remember _anything_!" Now the fog seemed to try and swallow her beyond return as she attempted to set foot in it; to find some kind of answer to her multitude of questions. She clutched the blankets like a lifeline, afraid to let go.

The older man shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, that is a side effect. But with time, I assure you, they will return. Time heals most everything." He was quick to console. He gave her a rueful but thoroughly kind smile. "My name is Arvis," he added, "and you should know that you are in a town called Narshe..."

The girl didn't hear the rest. She closed her eyes and again sought a way into her own mind, dipping cautiously into the blocked and lost reserves of memory. Finally, something surfaced. Not much; not a memory, but a name. And it must have been hers. However small the victory, she was excited enough to blurt out, "My name...is Terra!" She blushed slightly as Arvis turned back to her, with shock and glee written on his face.

"Unbelievable! Terra, I have never heard of anyone recovering so fast!" _That small and delicate body must hold such a great power and strength_. But he did not add the last part. The girl tried to rise, rubbing her head on account of an obvious headache. "Woah, I'd take it easy for a bit!" he retorted, gently grasping her arm and guiding her down again.

Suddenly, they were interupted by a loud commotion by the door. Someone was trying to get in. Or some people, by the sound of it. "Give us the girl!" they cried, pounding with an angry force. "Give us the Imperial soldier and the Emperor's Magitek Armor!" Arvis ran into the next room, followed by an off-balance Terra. He turned to her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered almost angrily. But Terra could tell that the anger was directed at the strange people at the door. She was so confused. Why did they want her? What were they talking about? But Arvis didn't seem to be in the mood to answer questions. Terra was just happy he wanted to help. "I would have liked for you to fully recover here, but you must go. Now, and hurry! Leave through the back; there is a passage that leads through the mines. I'll keep these brutes busy!"

She couldn't protest before she was pushed out the back door into the bone-chilling night air, and into the snow swirling almost as fast as her mind.


	2. Falling through the Floor

*Okay, this may be a bit rushed but I just needed to get this out there. And I also needed to speed things up a bit. And this is very short. Things are started to fall into place, though. Thanks for the reviews, Irish Brigid and MoogleTerra! :)

Don't worry, I won't abandon this as long as there are people to read it!

As a final note here, I'm not going to be very descriptive about Genesis because..well...I kind of got stuck on this part of the game literally for HOURS and have bad memories of it...so yeah. lol. Also, no Lazard here. Sorry if you're a Lazard fan...*

~/*7*\~/*7*\~/*7*\~/*7*\~

Zack couldn't calm his thoughts as he raced through the streets on the vehicle so graciously supplied by Cissnei. What little information he had found in the lab and library was vague; but Zack had enough to know that whatever had been done with the Jenova cells had been more effective on Cloud than himself. He had been getting some hints from Genesis, though. "Man, that guy just won't stop popping up in the worst situations," he spoke aloud. Cloud didn't respond, of course.

S cells. That's what he was after. And apparently, that meant he was after Cloud. "What a creep..." Zack muttered.

Right now, Zack was on the way to Banora. Whatever Genesis was up to, someone needed to stop him. That's what heroes did, right? Zack sighed as he cut the engine and came to stop. He still managed to cling to his dream, even if that meant he could only be a hero by saving his friend. Thinking about what it would mean if Cloud didn't survive, he subconsciously gripped the blonde's shoulder tighter than necessary as he spoke.

"I'll be back soon, okay? I hate leaving you here, but...there's something I need to do, okay?" Smiling at Cloud, Zack rose to his feet. He only made it a few more steps before he turned on his heel and ended up in front of the blonde again. "Okay, so yeah- I'm back. And you can come with me, right? I changed my mind." He winked and lifted Cloud onto his back. "But the ride might get bumpy!"

It was a little difficult with Cloud on his back, but many monsters later and Zack had navigated through the glowing underground of Banora and came to a room with actual plantlife. "Finally!" he groaned, setting his friend down as he fiddled with the pedestal and opened the door.

Not thinking he'd be able to fight Genesis with Cloud hanging off him, he opted with tucking Cloud away in the leafy room, as he hadn't seen any monsters in that area.

When he finally walked in, he noticed right away the large, strange, structure in the center of the dark cave, and the one-winged man in front of it. Again, he was speaking in quotes. "My soul, corrupted by vengeance hath endured torment to find the end of the journey and my own salvation." It was only then that Genesis turned to face him. "You're late," he drawled in his cool tone.

Zack chose to ignore the comment. He'd had enough of the man already. "LOVELESS' again?" he huffed.

Genesis smirked at him. "But you see, it's being reenacted. The three friends are...reunited." Zack raised an eyebrow. "You carry a part of Sephiroth inside you." _S cells..._ But Genesis only kept reciting his beloved lines, all about the gift of the goddess. It was then that the man finally raised his sword high above his head. A feeling of dread hit Zack. He couldn't stop Genesis as the beam of light bore down on him, filling the room with an almost electric current. Zack thought he could almost hear tearing sounds, the kind cloth makes when it rips.

Even though he could never be sure what happened in that moment, Zack swore he saw the statue of the stately woman come alive as the tearing became a roar, and he felt himself being swallowed up in the frayed gap of the world.

*Well, this is how it happens. :P Nobody ever knows what the heck Genesis is doing anyways...lol. *dramaticness* AND THAT IS HOW THE THREADS BETWEEN WORLDS START TO UNRAVEL!

For next chapter, there will definitely not be a multiple-month-long wait! Urg. I just needed to figure things out before I continued. But now I got things planned out for the next while. :) I should have it out soon, cuz I love the Figaro twins (and yes I did just drop a hint..;) )*


	3. What's Lost and Found

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

It was a sleepy, quiet day in the mountains when Zack Fair awoke. A warm breeze tickled his face, and he grimaced; sitting up out of the tangle of his awkwardly bent limbs. The first thing he felt was pure confusion. He looked around for Cloud, wary also of Genesis. Both, along with the caves of Banora, seemed to have disappeared. "Ooookay..." he drawled out loud to himself, getting to his feet. He'd been in simulations before. This could have been caused by something along those lines. Or so he thought. Zack had seen enough weird things happen over the last few years that he wasn't ruling out anything yet. At least anything within reason. But all the simulations he'd been in were set in familiar locations. He squinted and tried to figure out where he had suddenly been dumped.

He was at the foot of some mountains. "Nibel Range?" he mused. Then he figured these peaks were too warm and lush. He shivered as he thought of Nibelheim. "Not...Wutai? What other mountains are there?" He felt that dread again, overwhelming his unusual calm. "HELLO?" he shouted. "Cloud! CLOUD! You there?" He cursed then, remembering that his friend wouldn't be able to answer even if he was nearby. "ANYBODY?" He yelled, loud enough that the echoes came bouncing back at him. Nothing else answered, however. He began searching; first all around the area, then slowly expanding his search until he came to the edge of a small, rocky valley. Then, it became obvious that his echoes weren't the only ones scaring away birds.

The shouting seemed close, but with the echoes it was hard to tell. The shouts didn't seem too distressed, but soon he could clearly make out the rumble of dislodged rocks tumbling. Desperate by now, he rushed down the slope to his side and followed the sounds. They at first had seemed almost playful, but now they seemed to grow more agitated.

The echoes didn't seem too much louder, so it was a shock to Zack when he rounded a corner to come across the two men. He skidded to a stop and placed a hand on the hilt of the Buster Sword, thankful that it had traveled with him to who-knows-where. But the men didn't seem to even notice him. Zack realized now that he had come across an intense sparring match.

One man seemed to be more defensive, but Zack also detected that the man's partner was fighting a little harder than he should have been. Zack immediately was reminded of what happened when this same problem occurred with the three former SOLDIER 1st Class members. Though he hadn't witnessed the event, he had heard of it. And the thought of each of the three men caused him a different kind of pain. So he shifted his attention back to the match before him. It was then that he noticed the match had ended. Or rather, had _been_ ended.

Another man, notably older than the others, stood between them; his face reproachful. He glared at both men in turn. "They don't look like they're from Wutai..." Zack mumbled. The more aggressive sparring partner had dark skin and long hair that was tied behind him, while the other's skin was tanned but lighter; his sun-dried blonde hair sticking out like a spout of water from the tie on the back of his head. The later lowered his blue eyes respectfully before hearing footsteps behind him. All three strangers turned at once to look at Zack. Zack raised an eyebrow, taking his hand off his sword hilt (the men before him were obviously strong enough to present a challenge in a fight) and instead rubbed the back of his neck. "Um...hi!"

The dark-skinned man strode forward, narrowing his eyes. "Who are you?" he demanded. "Speak quickly, stranger, if you want to keep-"

"Vargas!" cut in the older man. "I'll handle this, my son." With that he approached Zack. "Though I would like it if the stranger would identify himself."

Zack put on his brightest grin and replied, "My name is Zack Fair, SOL-"_DIER 1st Class..._he had been about to finish. Zack cursed himself for giving out information so easily. It seemed Shinra could follow them everywhere, so why not here? Also, he didn't think he could call himself SOLDIER anymore...

The man before him looked amused, but said nothing about Zack's abrupt cutoff. Instead he nodded and introduced himself and his companions. "I am Duncan Harcourt, Blitz Master. And this is my son, Vargas, and my other student, Sabin Fi-"

"Just Sabin is fine," interrupted the blonde one with a glance at his master. Sabin smiled brightly and grabbed Zack's hand, shaking it with a surprisingly crushing grip. The man was even bigger than Zack, but even though his eyes were blue, the shade was too deep and Zack concluded this man wasn't mako-enhanced.

Zack decided to get down to what really was on his mind, ignoring the fact that he didn't know what a _Blitz _was. "Have you seen another guy with spiky blonde hair- spikier than yours, uh, Sabin- who is wearing clothes like mine?"

The others all glanced at each other, surprised, and it was Sabin who spoke up. "I'm afraid not...you're almost the only other person than these two that I've seen in years!" He grinned and thumped Zack on the shoulder. "It's pretty secluded out here, but peaceful; unlike where I'm from."

Zack's eyes widened. "Soooo you haven't seen him. Or anyone. Like, in years. Right. Thanks." He turned to walk away, cursing silently as he noticed the setting of the sun.

Sabin, hearing his frustration, came after him. "Hey!" he called. "Why don't you stay with us for the night? You can look for your friend in the morning. It's getting dark; you wouldn't make much progress anyway."

But Zack barely bothered to stop. _They probably aren't real anyway- _he thought. _It's too bad. The blonde one's nice. _Out loud, he said, "Thanks, but I can't just leave him out there." Cloud wasn't exactly in the position to fend for himself. And so Zack kept walking, turning over possibilities in his mind on where Cloud could be, if he was even here with him. And so it was with a note of surprise that Zack noticed Sabin walking right alongside him.

At Zack's expression, Sabin laughed; a loud, uninhibited laugh. "That didn't mean I couldn't help you look, did it? Together we'll find him in no time!" he retorted.

"Oh really? You're going to search the whole of Mt. Koltz and find one man in no time?" Vargas called after them, sneering.

But he went ignored by the two warriors, both of whom found themselves smiling.

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

The first hour or two was lightened up by idle conversation; though neither pried for too much information about the other. Both understood having something to hide.

"So where are you from?" asked Sabin, trying to be nonchalant, as they had first began searching.

Zack glanced at the muscular man. "Gongaga," he said simply, deciding to trust him.

Sabin's brow furrowed. He knew he'd been living on the world's sidelines for near a decade, but he also had been watching a good deal from said sidelines. He knew nothing a place called Gongaga, and told his new companion so.

"Really?" Zack replied. "Then again, I suppose it is pretty backwater..." Immediately he thought of his best friend. _We're both backwater experts! Oh yeah! _ Sabin nodded, though it still seemed fishy to him. He'd had enough geography lessons as a boy. A king's son needed to know his way around. "What is this place anyway?" The black-haired man continued. "Wutai? There's some mountains between Midgar and Junon, which I guess is likely as it doesn't seem like Corel or Nibel area either."

Sabin just stared. Something was definitely up. _And now I know it's not me who's crazy- _he thought. Duncan's student didn't quite know how to reply to that. And so he kept staring. And Zack kept getting more frustrated and uncomfortable. "What!" Zack yelled, waving his arms in the air. Sabin opened his mouth, but Zack cut him off. "This day has already been crap what with being randomly transported to a random part of the world or some simulation courtesy of Genesis' messed up mind, now I can't find Cloud and you're staring at me like I ate your kitten! What in the hell is going on!"

At this point, Sabin just stopped walking, letting the other man stomp on for a few steps as if oblivious suddenly to Sabin's presence. When Zack wheeled around to face him again, Sabin kept his eyes on him cautiously and began, "This is the wilderness of the kingdom Figaro, near Mt. Koltz."

"What?"

Yeah."

"But I've never heard of those places before!"

"Exactly."

Both stared at each other in silence for a few long moments. Finally, Zack seemed to deflate as he plopped down gracelessly on a rock. Sabin crossed his arms, then moved to sit across from him. "Soooo," began Zack, "which one of us is the crazy lunatic?"

Sabin raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're the one who was transported into a different world," he replied, voice a pitch higher out of sarcasm.

But Zack didn't catch the humor, too busy focusing on the sinking feeling in his gut. _You're the one who was transported into a different world._ But that's impossible, right? "This has to be just an elaborate simulation," he muttered. "A trick of the mind."

"A simulation?" queried Sabin. "I'm not sure what that is, but I can assure you that this is not a dream, and that I'm very much real."

But now Zack was lost in thought. "But for a simulation I'd have to be a simulation room! And if this is only a mind trick and my body's really still back in Banora Genesis would have killed me by now! What the heck!" He got to his feet, glaring at Sabin. "Would you happen to have any explanation as to what I'm doing here?"

Sabin didn't. "So..." he fished around for a thought, "would you be able to draw a map of the places you know?" Zack didn't hesitate to do so, and Sabin did the same.

And the maps scrawled in the dirt looked completely different. More staring was called for. Suddenly, Zack stalked off, presumably to continue looking for his friend. Sabin, although hesitant to go off with a madman, didn't think it was safe to just let him go.

They continued searching in silence after that, though Zack just wanted to start screaming without stop and Sabin just wanted to go to bed. "This is stupid," the later muttered, running his hands down his face. "It's the middle of the night and we're out in the mountains looking for the friend of a madman." He looked to Zack, now searching almost frantically, desperation showing in his abrupt movements. He looked so bottled up. "Hey," he called, "I think we should go back and see my master, Duncan. He might have some answers that I can't give you. It's useless to be out here now." In truth Sabin had no idea if there was anything Duncan could give Zack that he couldn't.

But Zack wasn't stupid. He knew that he couldn't look for a comatose-like man in absolute darkness, on a mountain no less. He hated himself for it, but reluctantly let Sabin lead him back to the cabin. _Forgive me, Cloud- _he thought miserably.

Zack was completely exhausted. By the time they returned to where the three men lived, he was barely aware as he flopped onto one of the large beds. His mind reeled for a moment like a bucking horse, then his consciousness was blown out like a candle.

The next morning was brighter, much brighter than the cloudy day before. The sun woke Zack and he opened his eyes, for a moment savoring the comfort of the simple bed and trying to remember where the heck he was. He immediately smelled tea, maybe not fresh but still warm. Then he shot up out of the bed as he did remember.

"Hey runt," called a voice from the door. The dark skinned man, Vargas, stood there with his arms crossed. Zack had never really been called a runt before. Then again, these guys were huge. "My father wanted to see you as soon as you woke up. I guess we'll see now if you really are mad. I'm undecided, runt. You're lucky that I don't trust Sabin." With that he laughed. Zack decided he didn't like this man, and not only because all must be crazy hermits. With a start, Zack realized that the man had gone. The former SOLDIER left the house and looked around, as Vargas hadn't bothered to tell the 'madman' where Duncan would be.

It turned out that he didn't need to.

"Come into the cabin." the voice was commanding and stern. Real or not, Zack had been in the military long enough to know when to listen to somebody. He followed Duncan back into the cabin, and was hit by a sweet scent. Turning to the side, he saw a bundle of fresh, bright blue flowers. And immediately Zack felt like he had been sucker-punched. _Aerith._ Zack didn't realize he had stopped walking until the Blitz master grabbed him roughly by the arm and yanked him towards a chair.

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

Sabin had risen early in the morning, not long after the sun broke over the horizon. He had slipped past the sleeping Zack warily and wandered into his favorite part of the woods. He sat down in the clearing, where the grass had all been worn away from training and his own feet, leaving behind a dusty brown dirt. And somehow, today it was easier to imagine the dirt in the clearing as an endless ocean of sand. _Forgive me, Edgar-_ he thought, not for the first time. No matter how much he hated politics, he missed his twin and thought about him often. He got to his feet. He knew he wouldn't be able to sit in peace while thinking about his home.

So he began to run. It seemed he was always running, ever since his father died. Now Sabin wondered whether he was running in the right direction. He always told himself that he would go back when he was stronger, when he could protect his brother, when the world regained some sanity. He thought of the strange newcomer. Now the world seemed more insane than ever. This train of thought led to the fact that the man's friend _-if this man's friend does exist and isn't the crazy ramblings of a madman_, he thought- was still missing. He decided to keep an eye out for him.

_The crazy ramblings of a madman..._the phrase drifted through his head again, and he really thought about it. The man didn't actually appear insane, but genuinely confused; as if he actually was suddenly snatched from one place and thrown into one completely different. He decided it was time to head back to the cabin.

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

Back in the humble home, Zack had explained the entire story to Duncan, including even Sephiroth, Nibelheim, Shinra, SOLDIER, JENOVA, mako enhancements.; all the events leading up to his awakening on the foreign mountain. When he finally finished, Zack waited anxiously as Duncan sat in silence.

Minutes passed, and Zack began to fidget uncomfortably, tempted to either say something to the man or jump to his feet and start doing squats. Finally, as Zack had just resolved to say something, the man spoke; making Zack almost miss what was said. And when he comprehended it, he was dumbfounded. "What?" Zack gasped.

"I said I believe you," Duncan stated calmly, repeating himself for the man before him.

"But...going to a different world...that's crazy, right? Impossible?"

"But you said yourself that this creature did it...this JENOVA," was Duncan's reply.

"But for that she had to empty the entire world! How can you believe this?" Zack shouted, reeling.

"Because someone has to start believing, and that might as well be me."

Zack was about to reply, but then found that, for once in his life, he had nothing to say. He closed his mouth. It was that moment that Vargas reentered with Sabin, both of their faces dark as if in contempt. That was about to change. Duncan got to his feet and walked past them casually as he said, "I believe him. This man is from another world."

Both men turned to stare at their master and then at Zack, who stood there dumbly and shrugged, a grin starting to tug at the edges of his mouth. Maybe he could get used to the idea after all.

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

It wasn't until two days later, when Sabin finally dragged Zack forcibly back to the cabin, that they actually ate a meal together. They had been separating to individually look for Cloud, but a sort of despair had begun to fall over the project.

Sabin glanced at Zack across the wood table. The man was squirming again. Obviously, the former SOLDIER didn't take well to the idea that he was in there and his friend was out there alone. Sabin sighed and put down his flask with a thump, causing Zack's attention to snap to him. The blonde was still slightly unused to the intense brightness of the man's eyes. It was still overly incredible that he came from another world, but Duncan believed it so firmly, and little details like the glowing blue eyes added up. "You know," Sabin started, "If I'm not mistaken, your friend wasn't in the same room as you when you fell into...here." The blonde gestured with his arms to illustrate. Zack looked at him curiously and carefully._ Like a puppy- _Sabin thought. "Maybe he popped up somewhere else, or...maybe he didn't come here at all." Zack's eyes widened. He hadn't considered that.

"I think that's a possibility," added Duncan. Sabin nodded.

Determined to get Zack's mind off his missing friend for now, Sabin asked the black-haired man about himself. With a sigh and a rub to the back of his head, Zack leaned back in the chair so that the front legs of it lifted off the ground. He quickly landed the chair with a pout when Duncan glared daggers at him. "As I told you before, I grew up in Gongaga with my ma and pa." Zack smiled as he thought of them. "It's a quiet place in a hot climate with lots of trees. When I was barely fourteen I left to join the powerful Shinra company as a SOLDIER." Sabin nodded and informed Zack that Duncan had told him about the company and its corruptness. It seemed to Sabin that you just couldn't escape from that, no matter what world. It still disgusted him. He then realized that Zack had continued on. "...and I fell right through the roof of the church!" Everyone looked incredulous, so Zack glared at them humorously as he continued pointedly, "Right onto a flower bed. One of the only places to find flowers in Midgar." Then a radiant grin broke out on Zack's features. "It was there I met my girlfriend, Aerith! The most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot!" he said with a wink. With a pang Sabin was reminded of Edgar and his antics. He smiled to himself, imagining the two would get along fine if they ever met. Then Zack was explaining about the Cetra, and how this Aerith was the last one. He spoke with such care and enthusiasm about her, but his expression had a hint of sadness. There was a lot in his way to get back to her.

Now sincerely curious about Zack's story, Sabin couldn't help but ask the man about Cloud, which was apparently the name of the missing friend. Zack smiled again, but it was a sad smile, one that Sabin suspected could only be brightened by the return of Cloud. But Zack ended up talking all about the helicopter crash where they met -prompting questions on helicopters- and all the times after that where he had gotten to know the quiet boy. "He definitely's quiet, but I could immediately tell that somewhere in there was the same sense of humor as I saw in myself. I was determined to break it out," said Zack, smiling at the memories. "But I also found he's so much more than that, the chocobo head!"

Sabin gave a start. "Chocobo head?" he asked, incredulous. As Zack began to explain what a chocobo was, Sabin stopped him with a laugh. "No, no- we have those too! They're even a sort of symbolic thing where I grew up. It's just, as a nickname..." he broke off into chuckles.

Zack chuckled too. "If you saw his hair, you'd understand!" he added with a smirk, but then he sobered and cocked his head curiously again. "You keep mentioning this place you used to live! When are ya gonna tell me about it? I should get to know about you, too, Sabin the Mysterious! Let's start with your full name at least, maybe?"

Sabin laughed again, louder. "Really, I'm not all that mysterious! My name's Sabin Rene Figaro." He felt confidant that the man wouldn't be able to recognize any connections. But then he could almost hear the gears in Zack's head start to turn.

"Figaro?" he mused. "Hey! Isn't that like the place you mentioned awhile ago?" _How could he have remembered that? _thought Sabin with an eye roll.

Surprisingly, it was Vargas who answered, the mocking condescendence back in full force. Zack was starting to very much dislike him. "That's right," he smirked. "Pretty little prince Sabin is the runaway brother of King Figaro." Sabin shot him a glare. Zack's eyes widened as he sputtered on his drink, resulting in it spewing largely onto Sabin, who apparently found the display funny while managing to still glare deadly glares at the other trainee.

"You're the the brother of a real live KING?" Zack shouted after he stopped choking. "A KING? Boy, is this world in the past or something? That's so cool! We just have presidents. Well, Wutai has an emperor but...yeah. So you have a brother?" Zack grinned.

Sabin gave a nostalgic smile. "Yeah," he breathed, the weight of the passed years weighing on the word, "we're twins."

"And you just keep getting cooler and cooler! Man, wait 'til Cloud hears! Well, I'm not sure if he'll be particularly interested, but whatever." Then, prompted by the rueful tone of the blonde, the 'runaway' part of Vargas' announcement hit him. He carefully questioned it, addressing Sabin solely. "What happened?" he asked.

Sabin sighed. He hadn't really talked about this since he briefly explained himself to his master years ago. But Zack just felt like someone you could trust and talk to, even if he was talkative himself when he wasn't in the mood for thinking deeply. "Out father, the previous king of Figaro, was poisoned by the Empire." Gods, it still burned him! "He died, but all everyone could think about was his successor." He chuckled darkly. Zack stared on solemnly, shocked. "I was...angry. So angry. I fled to the tallest tower of the castle and just stared at the sand in the night. My brother, of course he came after me. I found that he was the only sane one. More sane than me, but he still...understood. Because we always could do that...understand one another." This time, a remembering smile. "I told him to run away with me and leave all those twisted politics behind. But...even though some people had trouble seeing it, big brother was always the sensible one. Level-headed when it comes down to it. He thought of the kingdom. Our father wanted us to rule Figaro together, but right then I knew that my brother would make a better king. But he proposed a coin toss to decide our fates...and I won. And I left him with all that mess. He said 'no regrets,' and I don't, I love it here, but..." He smiled helplessly, throwing up his hands. "Even a bear like me has things they wish to change."

Zack began rocking his chair again, his mind scheming and oblivious to Duncan's renewed glares. "What's his name? Tell me about him." He said suddenly, looking to the blonde.

Sabin's face brightened. "His name is Edgar Roni Figaro. He's the elder twin and, of course, he looks just like me...except most likely not as ursine!" Sabin threw back his head and laughed as though the thought amused him greatly. He looked back at Zack. "He's also quite the ladies' man..."

"Allright. I've heard enough!" Zack suddenly declared to everyone's surprise. "What? You said that Cloud is most likely not here, and if he is, we can't find him on our own. We can get help from your brother. And on the other hand, it's obvious you need to see this Edgar again. So let's go!" If Zack couldn't get his reunions in order, he could at least help along another one. The twins sounded so close.

Sabin sat shellshocked in his seat. The idea of returning to Figaro after so long both frightened and excited him at the same time. "I-" he began, but Zack cut him off, and turned to Duncan.

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind, sir?" he said. "He'll come back and finish his training, right, Sabin?" Zack didn't seem to care that the blonde failed to reply.

The Blitz master looked slowly back and forth, carefully judging the situation. Finally he took a deep breath, resolved. "Sabin, I think it would be good for you. Consider it part of your training. Now go. You said you would wait for the world to regain some sanity. But who knows? Maybe you can help offer a push."

Sabin was dumbfounded. One moment he was having a wistful, living-in-the-past moment, the next he's being ordered to face it! But then he thought of Edgar. _I have someone I need to ask a pardon of_- he thought fiercely, resolute. Before he knew what he was doing, he turned to the man with the spiky black hair and nodded.

"Alright!" the other man grinned, pumping his fist. They both awaited a reunion. "To Figaro it is! Lead the way!"

* * *

><p>So what do you guys think? You probably knew where he landed right away...but hey, I tried to make it mysterious...at first...I hope they're not too out of character, but I promise they will be more in character later on when things smooth out. They're all a little stressed now..lol.<p>

So Zack and Sabin are on their way to see Edgar! I told you things would change..:) And Cloud's missing! *gasp!* *evil laugh* I'm so mean to Zack...but I'm even meaner to Cloud...but it's 'cause we love him...lol.

Where do you think he is?


	4. Split

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

That night, a pair of glowing blue eyes closed in sleep as another pair opened. Cloud Strife lay on his back, focusing on the small pinpricks of light in the sky in favor of the mist he had fought to the inside of his mind. His sight began to clear as the stars blinked cooly at him. He shifted restlessly, and would have stayed still to breathe in the night air but for the nagging voice that told him something was missing. Or rather, the lack of a voice; one that told him stories, the weather, silly and serious things. His fragile mind began to search for a connection, handing him memories one by one as he lay there. When they all returned, he couldn't wait to get up.

He tried to sit up, but his body protested; making him feel like through his swirling, disoriented mind that he was crawling through molasses. His frustration pushed him on, egging him to stand up, to run, to look for Zack. His voice came out as a groan as he could only drag himself forward.

It seemed like hours before he dimly registered more small lights up ahead; ones that came not from the sky but from many hundreds of torches in the darkness. He paused then, unsure and exhausted. The last thing he was aware of was the sight of the footsteps fading as his vision failed; hearing only the authoritative thump that came to a stop right beside his head.

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

Locke hurried through the first of the tunnels, looking and listening for signs of a girl. He had talked to Arvis, the older Returner, about the 'Imperial Soldier' he was supposed to find, then headed after the girl into the Narshe mines. He hadn't really seen her yet, but the signs weren't hard to find. He saw the haphazard tracks in the snow that the wind had pushed in, and heard distant sounds ahead that would lead him after he got far enough in where the snow wouldn't be there to help him.

He smiled to himself. For an Imperial soldier, she had little practice in covering her tracks. _And that's what the Empire is best at- _he thought. _Though not in a literal sense, usually._

He began to whistle, but frowned as he heard more voices, voices that certainly weren't female. He came to a section of the cave floor that seemed to have collapsed not too long ago; the dust had yet to finish settling. His stomach did a jump as he leaned over and saw an unconscious green-haired girl below. From the Empire or not, she looked to be in serious need of help. Bracing himself, he jumped from the ledge into the cave below; still glancing around for the source of the other voices. Then he caught the glow of torchlight on the curve of the tunnel; throbbing angrily as if catching the mood of the people it led. Locke nearly growled when the first men appeared. These were definitely the Imperial troops he had been told about. At this, however, Locke couldn't help but wonder why they were after one of their own in such a violent way. Then he remembered the words of Arvis: _she was not responsible for her actions...and would be valuable in our resistance- even essential._

Locke pulled a large dagger from his belt, preparing to face them.

Then, to his surprise, he heard a strange voice behind him.

"Kupo!"

~/*\~

Terra awoke suddenly this time, pushing herself up to her elbows. A man stood by her, but didn't seem to notice she had awoken. She groaned slightly as she got to her feet, testing her aching legs and eyeing the man warily; watching as he turned around to face her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "You took quite a fall back there..."

Terra took in the sight of his slightly bloody, disheveled clothing, and began putting the pieces together. She was still very confused. "So...you saved me?" she ventured.

The man put on a grin. "Save your thanks for the moogles! They helped me get rid of those soldiers that were after you..."

Terra didn't know what he meant by 'moogles.' She supposed it was just another thing she still had to remember. She sighed in frustration. "I can't remember anything. Not from now, not from the past. Just...Terra. Just my name."

Though she didn't have much to go on, Terra thought the man's reaction was strange. He gave a start, his eyes widening; giving Terra room to see a flash of pain go through them. "You have...amnesia?" He said louder than necessary. Terra nodded slowly. "Don't worry, Terra! I'll-I'll protect you, I promise! I won't leave until your memories come back."

"...um"

Locke winked at her, pulling on a smile. "Give it time! But for now, I know someplace that we can take refuge in. We're going to Figaro- to see the king!"

He began to lead her out, and she followed; finding herself smiling for the first time.

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

_ "Hey Cloud...if you're gonna leave, you have to make me a promise."_

_ The sky looked like ice-crystals in a frozen waterfall; but it seemed more reachable that night than the two children had ever seen before._

"Tifa!" Cloud sat up and gasped as the dream had taken a turn for the worse. Even awake, he looked down half-expecting to see his hands covered in his own blood, Tifa's and Zack's. He decided to look up instead. Past the entrance of the tent he was in, he saw the same stars, just like in his dream. _But these stars are all wrong. Where am I?_

Just then, a man walked into the tent, flanked closely by two soldiers. The first man walked with the air of authority; his steps confident and his head held high. His mouth was set in a solemn line, but his eyes held a generous light that managed to calm Cloud a bit. "So you are awake, then. Good." Cloud followed him with his eyes as he sat on a nearby chair. The military man surveyed Cloud for a minute, then asked for his name.

Glancing around, Cloud knew he was in a delicate situation. He was obviously in some sort of army camp, and was surrounded by soldiers who were suspicious of him. He decided to tell as much of the truth as he could. His brain still felt muddled, barely keeping track of the fact that the man had kept talking- apparently giving Cloud more time to adjust himself. Cloud tried not to sound hesitant as he put out, "Cloud...Strife."

The man stopped and looked at him curiously, then the other soldiers in the tent leaned in and began to whisper to the man who seemed to be in charge. To his surprise, Cloud found that he could hear what was being said quite easily.

"Do you think he's with the Returners, General Leo? Maybe a spy?" One said, glancing at Cloud nervously.

"Don't be stupid," interjected the other soldier. "Look at the state he's in! He obviously has no idea what's going on! His eyes are so foggy and weird that they scare me. Most likely he's just a random traveler who got on the bad side of a monster."

_My eyes...?_

Then the man, now revealed to Cloud as General Leo, made known his opinion. "Either of you could be right. But we should question him fairly before we jump to conclusions."

"Yes Sir!" was the simultaneous response.

Leo scooted his chair closer to Cloud, smiling and raising his voice a little from his previous murmur. "Well, Cloud Strife, where are you from? What business do you have here in Doma?"

Cloud's brow furrowed, his mind whirring into motion as slow as old machinery. Of course, he's never heard of Doma. And so something told him that the general had never heard of Nibelheim. On top of that, Cloud realized with a start that he had no idea what his 'business' was; or what had happened since the mako reactor. For what seemed the hundredth time, he wondered what happened to Zack. Zack could handle situations like this. Leo still looked at him expectantly. "I...I don't know," Cloud managed to get out. It was true, mostly. He didn't know a lot of things.

The general raised a brow. "As in...you don't remember? You remembered your name just fine." Cloud remained silent. Leo continued. "You should at least know where you were born, if you remember anything. Do you have family?" Leo asked, trying to warm him up.

Cloud thought of his mother with sadness. Unfortunately, the others noticed the clear flash of pain and sorrow that flooded his face.

"So you do remember," the General confirmed. "Then when can you tell me what you were doing crawling about in the hills? You have no injuries and seem to be just fine, unless you have some strange illness I know nothing about. Who are you and what is your business?" he demanded again.

Cloud sighed in frustration. "I don't know...honestly," he whispered. This would be a long night.

But before Leo could question him any further, another soldier came into the tent, glancing uneasily at Cloud before turning to Leo. "General Leo, sir!" he saluted, holding out a rolled slip of paper. "Message from the Emperor, sir!"

Leo's brows quirked upwards as he took the letter and began to read. The soldiers looked at him expectantly. Finally, he said, "It's Kefka. He's coming to join us for the siege, after his search to retrieve a soldier."

The other men groaned at the mention of the first Magitek knight. Leo admonished them, but gave away his own thoughts with the irritation in his eyes; dislike that had nothing to do with the soldiers before him.

One soldier, however, was confused, and asked, "A soldier? From where?"

"Nothing's for certain yet, but we think the soldier's in Figaro."

* * *

><p>lol Everybody's going to Figaro! Heheheh. Well, except Cloud. Poor Cloud has to stay with the bad guys for a while. But I couldn't resist using that ending again...twice. O_o It was just too perfect and it amused me. lol.<p>

I didn't spend to much time on the Locke and Terra section (and skipped the little fight scenes) because I want to focus on points of view that have characters from both games. Originally, I was going to have Cloud journey with those two, but then got a wonderful idea from Irish Brigid. ;)

Next up- some reunions (not of the Jenova kind ;) ) and some traveling! ...and some Cloud being cooped up in a tent..:P

Thanks to my reviewers, Irish Brigid and flames04!


	5. Moths to the Flame

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

"I just decided," announced Zack. He and Sabin were walking through yet another valley on their way to the castle. According to Sabin's memory, they should be reaching the desert soon, though it was already very hot.

Sabin quirked an eyebrow at him. "Decided what?"

Zack hid a grin. "That I like the constellations in my world better."

"Really. It's almost evening and you're thinking about that now?"

"It's better than thinking about a sun that I swear is hotter here than where I'm from," Zack shot back, the smile breaking free.

The blonde looked amused. "Wait until we get to the desert tomorrow. Then you'll see how hot the sun can be."

"So we're getting there tomorrow? Will we have to camp in the desert, or will we get there within the day?" Zack asked, looking ahead as if he could discern that himself.

Sabin, however, shrugged. At Zack's look, he exclaimed, "Don't look at me like that! I may not remember exactly how long it takes to get there, but I do know how to get there! Ten years is ample time to forget things like that."

Zack laughed, then kept chatting. What he was saying may have been trivial, but it was the most effective way of fighting back the fear he felt for Cloud.

That night they slept on the last plain of grass before the endless sand of Figaro's desert. Early in the morning they packed up camp. They both wanted to get as much traveling in as they could, as Sabin had the feeling that they could reach the castle by nightfall. Even so, there was not much to pack up in the first place.

Zack and Sabin wolfed down their breakfast as they walked. In truth, Sabin was so torn between anxiety and joy that he decided it was best to just get there as soon as possible before he could change his mind on the matter. Leaping without much thought- it was a pattern he had always followed. And ironically, this got him thinking. _Should I really just go running in there?_

"Well, if you really want, you could wear a disguise or something until you think the time's right."

Sabin almost jumped at the response, not realizing he had spoken out loud. He thought about it though. Then shook his head. "No good. The guards wouldn't let me in the throne room with something covering my face. Not without being suspicious, at least." He paused just as their feet met the first waves of sand. Then he seemed to speed up and the sand churned under the steps of the two men. Sabin laughed, however, and added, "That doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy trying! Edgar and I used to try to sneak around the guards when we were young; avoiding lessons. I always got caught though." His eyes twinkled. He would have fun with this.

~/*\~

Sabin's conjecture was correct, as only about an hour before sunset they arrived before the gates of Figaro castle. As they came within sight of the guards, Sabin adjusted the cloth hanging over his face. It was supposed to look like a veil from the sun and sand, though Sabin scowled at it invisibly from behind it. It most likely looked ridiculous. _At least I can see through the darn thing- _he thought, looking over at Zack. The other man looked at him mischievously. Sabin rolled his eyes, even if the black-haired man couldn't see it.

A guard stopped them both before they got through the doors by giving a grunt and putting a hand on Sabin's chest. The blonde's heart pounded, but he said nothing. That part was left to Zack, who did so happily. "Hey there," he greeted, smiling. "My name is Zack Fair and this is my companion Brutus Buns." Sabin made a valiant effort not to laugh. Zack shot him a look. But so did the guard, who looked to be about to address the Blitz student. But Zack continued before he could. "I'm from..." -_Not a good path, Zack- _"I'm a merchant. My companion and I tried to take a shortcut through the mountains, but it didn't quite work out. See, after a few days, we ended up getting robbed! The dirty thieves stole most of my wares and we eventually got lost after they dumped us in a random valley. And so when we got to a small town, I had to trade the rest of my wares for food and new clothes. Now we're here hoping to not only get a new start to the business, but to get an audience with the king. Since the crime happened in his kingdom he should do something about it!" Zack finished his rant, wiping a grin off his face at his story. He attempted a more serious look.

Sabin stared at him from the safety of the veil. Zack had rambled off the tale so smoothly that Sabin wanted to just throw back his head and laugh. At that, a memory sprung to the front of his mind.

_Young Edgar and Sabin rounded the last corner in the hall, arms full of stolen sweets from the kitchen. Soon they would be home free, and the boys began to snicker uncontrollably at their success. "Shhh-shh!" Edgar gasped, but then broke into more chuckles._

_ Young Sabin threw open the door to their bedchamber and stopped dead, causing Edgar to run into him from behind. Ready to upbraid his brother for stopping, the older twin looked ahead and gulped when he saw Matron standing there, tapping her foot and wearing what had been dubbed her 'dragon face.' _

_ Young Sabin watched as his brother recovered quickly, the older twin's face contorting into a look of shock and horror. "Where is she!?" he exclaimed, making a show of looking around frantically. He turned to Sabin for a quick wink. "Where's the beautiful lady?" _Of course it's a lady- _thought Sabin. Matron raised a brow. Edgar was undaunted. "She came to us while we were coming back through the sand after visiting the chocobo stables! We found her crawling over to the castle and she looked like she hadn't eaten in days! She said she got lost running away from someone, but she didn't want anyone to know she was here. So we took her to our room, then went and got some food from the cook. We were in a hurry because she was really hungry!" He made another show of searching the room. "Well, I guess you scared her off. She probably is gonna go somewhere else to stay." He smiled sweetly at Matron, who looked as if she may smile herself. _

Sabin smiled at the memory. Edgar had always been able to charm his way out of situations. He wondered if he was still the same after so long.

He came out of his thoughts to Zack pulling on his arm. The guard was letting them through. And not only was he letting them through, but he intended to escort them directly to the throne room! Sabin frowned. He hadn't expected for it to be this easy. He thought the guards were smarter than this. It worried him. These were the people guarding his brother's life?

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

Locke glanced sidelong at Terra, who ran slightly ahead in another burst of speed; fascinated by the endless sand now that the forests and fields had given way to desert.

Terra had never seen so much sand before. At least, she thought so. She looked back at Locke, who smiled lopsidedly and shook his head at her excitement. He laughed. "We'll be at the castle in a few hours," he said, "but for some reason I think I'll be happier to get out of this sun than you will be."

Terra smiled, but chose not to reply. She did like the heat. It felt powerful, as if she could absorb it and let it give her strength. Even so, she was glad to see the large castle rise above the horizon. Soon she could rest her feet and sleep in a real bed for only the second time she could remember.

Locke pointed out the structure, but Terra had already guessed it was their destination. Soon she could see men riding large yellow birds trod here and there on their mounts, and by evening she and Lockeat last reached the gates of Figaro castle.

The guards at the gate let them in almost immediately once they recognized Locke. Terra assumed he must come to the castle often. The large doors then began to close, shutting the way to the desert behind them.

* * *

><p>:P Sorry for the delay, everyone! I've had major writer's block lately, so this chapter didn't get to where I wanted it to go, and it's pretty short. I fully intended to introduce Edgar in this chapter. At least I have a little flashback in there, which I hadn't even planned...it was actually really fun to write! Heh.<p>

So yeah. Usual excuses. Writer's block. Busy week. The ingredients of a not-up-to-snuff chapter! :P Urg. I'll try to get another one out before I leave for vacation six days from now. I probably will because I've been looking forward to this part! :D

A big thank you to my reviewers, Irish-Brigid and findthetiger129! ^_^


	6. Royals and Runaways

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Zack's eyes widened as he looked around. He had never really seen anything like this castle before. Except in pictures of old things. However, when Zack looked carefully, he could see hints that the castle was more advanced than it at first seemed. He directed his gaze forward, to where the guard was leading them, flicking an amused glance at Sabin; the man's face still completely covered. The blonde was taking in everything with a silence that felt deeper than the absence of conversation.

Zack managed to refrain from talking up until they came out of the atrium and into the courtyard. It was magnificent. All around, riding cylindrical towers that seemed to climb into a cloudless blue sky, spun broad fans; providing a pleasant cool and making the Figaran flags snap and wave. More soldiers, clad in red, green, and gold, stood at attention by other doorways. Zack had only to look in their eyes to see the pride they held for the kingdom. "Wow," he breathed, turning in a casual circle as he walked.

They approached a stair between two halls, from the top of which peeked the most grand hall; a large one that Zack could tell had multiple rooms, unlike the others. Above the door hung a blue banner. Sabin nudged Zack and tilted his head toward the structure. "Blue is Figaro's royal color," said Sabin with a lowered voice, to be sure their escort didn't hear. Zack almost snorted. It had seemed to him that Sabin was always wearing blue. He supposed that no matter how repulsive the royal life was to the blonde, he never really did let it go completely.

They approached the entrance, where their escort exchanged words briefly with the two men that stood guard there. After one of them ran ahead, they continued on into the hall, where a fine red carpet stretched before them like a path, and golden suits of armor lined the sides holding bright swords. They then came to a final door, past a new pair of guards, and into the throne room.

Zack's eyes flew to the end of the carpet, where sat the king in his throne, leaning to hear the words of another man in Figaran colors before the latter bowed and swiftly left the room, leaving only three guards. Their escort stepped forward, announcing the pair to the king. Zack could swear that the man suppressed a snort at the name he had given Sabin. The escort then stepped aside to let them through. _Now what?- _Zack thought suddenly. _I guess that's up to Sabin._

It was then that the king stood and greeted his guests, a long blue cape fringed with gold settling around him as he stepped down from the dais. "Good sirs, welcome to Figaro!" he said with a wide gesture and a diplomatic smile. "I hope that once we have this business settled, you find your stay comfortable." Zack blinked. The man did look like Sabin. The faces were the same, though Sabin's had seen more sunlight, and both had bright blonde hair, though the king's was tied back in two places with deep blue ribbons. Their voices were slightly different. Edgar's was smooth with an edge of good humor that seemed to always be present, while Sabin's was rougher, and louder from his experience in the outdoors. The main difference was that Sabin's build was decidedly bigger. Kings probably didn't get many chances for exercise, Zack figured. _On second thought, this guy looks pretty fit himself. _

The king made as if to speak, but then his gaze settled on Sabin, who still wore the veil over his face. Sabin's twin narrowed his eyes, swishing the drink in the goblet he held, then seemed to hold his breath. For a moment Zack saw Sabin freeze, and thought that maybe the king had recognized his brother. But the man just finished off his drink, keeping his eyes on Sabin's veil.

With a mischievous twinkle lighting his eye, Zack decided to intervene. "Excuse him if he doesn't remove his hat," Zack interjected boldly, suppressing a grin. "He had an accident with some stairs a few years ago. It left the klutz both blind and deaf. I'm afraid he's just not quite right in the head anymore!" Zack patted Sabin's shoulder sympathetically, who then twisted his head to glare at him. The king raised his eyebrows.

Seeing that her monarch was done, a maid stepped forward to take the cup. As she approached, he took her hand and kissed it, saying, "I regret to have not seen your face before, my sweet rose! If you are new to the job, I would be delighted to show you around my castle. We shall meet at the east tower for tea..." The maid blushed and pulled away as Sabin shook with silent laughter. Zack almost did too, and could not help but point out, "Well, King, if you want to ask a lady out, I'd suggest checking a specific finger for a ring first."

The king froze, making Zack think at first that he was angry, but then the blonde blinked and looked to the very hand that he had kissed, seeing that the stranger was right. Pulling himself together, the king smiled broadly, saying with a wink, "My apologies, good lady! Lucky is the man who marries you! I've never taken advice on women before, but I've a mind to listen to this fellow."

"Hmm...that's not quite true. If I hadn't intervened with you and Celia, you wouldn't have had your first dance! And the other countless times I've saved you from certain bad situations..." Zack glanced sharply to the blonde beside him, for it was Sabin who had spoken.

Edgar suddenly froze, forgotten goblet falling from his hands. "...Sabin?" he whispered almost cautiously, as is he could somehow be mistaken.

Sabin lifted the veil from his face, stepping forward a bit. "Hey, big brother," he said more loudly, though his voice wavered just a bit.

The two brothers simply stood there, a gap of ten years' absence lying between them. That is, until King Edgar Figaro, with quiet steps, crossed the rest of the distance and embraced his twin. Zack didn't know what to expect them to say, but smiled when he heard Edgar mutter, "you look like a bear."

~/*\~

Edgar sat and listened quietly to both Zack and Sabin as they told their stories. When they finished, the king got to his feet and drummed his fingers on the back of the chair. They were seated in Edgar's personal study; a room that branched off his chambers, and one that not many had the clearance to see. "It's a bit hard to believe, I know..." began Sabin, but Edgar waved the thought away.

The king smiled, but there was a grimness behind it that diluted the smile as it reached his eyes. "I believe you Sabin," he said, though he looked at Zack when he said it. "There has been strange things going on lately. Strange, serious, things that are impossible to believe, but true. Even you must have heard of the burning of Maranda. That was done by no ordinary means. There is some new evil the Empire has dredged up, and Figaro needs your bold spirit, brother..."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Edgar!" a voice called out.

Sabin started. There was only one person who would address the king informally. "Matron!" Edgar called, confirming his twin's thoughts. The king opened his mouth to continue, but stopped when Sabin began shaking his head and waving his arms. Edgar got the picture. "What is it? I'm in the middle of something important..."

Matron huffed. "Well this seems important too. That Locke fellow is here again, and he demands to see you immediately. There's someone with him, too. She has this strange green hair..."

Edgar straightened up immediately. "Green hair..." he breathed, earning strange looks from Zack and Sabin. "Come with me," he told the two. "I'll explain on the way."

* * *

><p>First of all, I am very sorry about how long it took to update. As you can see, I wasn't able to post this before I went on vacation. It's been crazy, and losing my inspiration for a while didn't help either. But now I'm all in again. :D *parties* Anyway, the Figaro brothers are finally reunited!<p>

Oh! And the reference to Sabin helping his brother out with the ladies is from MoogleTerra's amazing fanfic about the young Figaro brothers. Great story.. :)

Until next time...


	7. Complications Piling Up

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Sabin kept his head down and walked fast. Not because he didn't want to be seen, but because Edgar could walk very fast when he wanted to.

"For about two months there have been strange rumors," said the king, still maintaining his brisk step. "Rumors of an 'Imperial Witch' that we've codenamed 'Green.'"

"We?" queried Zack, cocking his head curiously.

Edgar nodded. "Figaro, and the Returners," he said, turning his head briefly to look at Zack. "We've been keeping two eyes on the Empire. One of the Returners, Locke, was assigned to find out as much as he could about the Empire's newest secret. He comes here quite a bit, being my eyes and ears in the world. Unfortunately, I don't get out much."

At that last statement, Sabin looked up at his brother. There had been a change in his voice; something wistful and sad. The younger twin felt a pang of guilt. _Don't do this to yourself, Sabin! It was a coin toss- equal chance!_

They finally came to a small meeting room off to the side of the entrance to the hall. There were the two arrivals. Locke looked completely at ease; rocking back his chair and propping his feet on the table. Terra stood warily to the side, assessing them quietly. The thief noticed their entry right away, and leapt to his feet to greet them, walking over swiftly. "Edgar, I found her in Narshe. She's the one we've been looking into," Locke said quietly, so only Edgar could hear.

Edgar spun to face Terra, musing aloud, "So...this young woman?" He then turned and walked back a step or two, thinking.

Terra was getting tired of the king's assessment. She put her hands on her hips. "Who do you think you are?"

Edgar, though startled, managed to whirl around again and put on a smile. "My apologies!" he said, with a wink. "How rude of me to turn my back to a lady!" Sabin snorted, and Edgar shot him a humored glare. "I am Edgar, King of Figaro...-"

"Surprised someone like me knows a king?" interjected Locke, nudging Terra with his elbow.

Edgar knew he could have come up with a retort for that, but his mind was still whirling at the sudden reappearance of his brother. So after a small chuckle at Locke, he decided to be polite instead. "Locke, you know where the rooms are. You can show this lovely lady around, or she can look around herself. I have a feeling there's some things you want to talk about concerning this?" _Ah! Why did this have to happen now? When Sabin has finally returned? _

Locke nodded. "I'll be back in a bit," he told Edgar, leading Terra out of the room.

~/*\~

Terra continued to stare at the scenes the castle presented as Locke led her down stairs and through hallways. Now that she had had time to settle down, she realized that she was exhausted. She was only vaguely aware of the paths they took; recognizing only that they had to briefly walk across the outside again before finally entering a room sporting a single bed.

She didn't realize that Locke was talking to her until he stopped, looking at her curiously. "You're more tired than I thought!" he said, but winked and chuckled. Then he cocked his head. "Something wrong?"

Terra sighed, shaking her head, then offered, "Hmmm. I just hurts to think right now. I don't know what to do."

Locke tapped his foot for a minute and thought, then said, "I'm sure you'll know when the time comes. Try not to worry so much beforehand!" Then he turned around and gestured grandiosely at the bed. "Now I'll let you rest before you fall on your face."

Terra had the presence of mind to roll her eyes.

As the man turned to leave, she called after him. "Hey...Locke," he turned around and raised an eyebrow. "I heard someone say you're a thief."

"G-ahh!" gasped Locke, putting a hand to his heart as if physically wounded. "It's TREASURE HUNTER! Now I gotta see who's spreading these totally false, nasty rumors..." he grumbled and growled as he walked away.

~/*\~

"Ah! Locke, you're back!" called Edgar, seeing the 'treasure hunter' enter the room again.

Locke smiled his cheeky grin, and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "She should be sleeping now. She'd had a long few days."

The king sighed then, and dropped down into a chair.

"Good!" called Sabin. Edgar's been pacing since you left. All I've heard is that she's some 'Imperial witch,' so I'm glad she's sleeping too."

Anger flashed in Locke's face, but then it disappeared; him having not registered the two other people in the room.

"Ah," sounded Edgar, raising his head a little, "Where are my manners!" This sentence merited his eye's mischievous twinkle. "I have not introduced my brother Sabin, and his companion Zack Fair."

Locke's face cracked into an ear-splitting grin. "Heheh! The Figaro brothers are reunited, eh!" He turned to Zack, winking. "Nice to meetcha!"

"Locke..." interrupted Edgar, sitting back in his chair. "please tell me why I'm housing an Imperial soldier. She's some sort of secret weapon. And that means you'll bring the Empire crashing down on Figaro!"

"Because they were using her, Edgar," said Locke, his voice turning serious. The king looked at him curiously. "She has absolutely no memory of her life, as of a few days ago. I, er- we, have to help her!" At this, Edgar pressed his lips into a line and looked as if he wanted to say something, but decided not to say it.

"Well then, I suppose you all should get some rest as well," said Edgar finally. He looked at Zack then. "Unless you'd like to go explore? Word has gone out by now of your association with me; I'm sure my citizens will be kind enough to grant you access to almost anywhere here in the castle!"

Zack, who had been fidgeting for what felt like hours of sitting, literally leapt at the chance. "I think I'll take you up on that," he called. He did want to see the rest of the castle, but also wanted to go because he could tell the two brothers needed time alone to catch up for the decade-long parting.

Sabin and Edgar nodded simultaneously, as only twins can do, and spoke in quiet voices as Zack's buoyant footsteps echoed down the hall.

~/*\~

Zack had no trouble making his way down to the courtyard again. He recognized the two doorways on either side, and decided to go with the one on the left. He passed the guard, who nodded as he went by, and came into a stairwell with a door on the opposite end. He opened the door and looked inside to see the room had four beds. Before he was halfway in, one of the two maids in the room grabbed his arm and pulled him in. "Woah!" snorted Zack. "Usually ladies don't wanna get me in a bedroom this fast..."

The blonde maid just rolled her eyes. "Very funny," she said, then gestured around the room. "It's just, this is where you're sleeping. You want us to leave, so you can rest?"

"Nah," Zack replied. "I'm gonna explore some more."

As Zack opened the door again, the maid said with a wink, "You know, you kind of remind me of King Edgar. He showers his attention on women, but most of us are too smart to pay any attention to him!"

Zack snorted as he stepped out of the room, starting down the stairs to his next destination. _Is that really what they think of their king?- _he thought. His thoughts were broken off then as he got to the bottom. He went through the next door and, to his surprise, found himself standing in the desert sand again. _"_Side doors?" Zack thought aloud. "Isn't that a little lax in security? There's something off here about that..." A chuckle up ahead told him that someone had heard. Nearby a Figaran guard on a chocobo was making his rounds. "What's so funny?" called Zack. "Don't you think _unlocked_ side doors are a bit self-assured?"

The guard just smiled at him as if privy to some amusing secret. "Nobody can touch this castle, and nobody will," he said. "Welcome to Figaro!"

Zack raised a brow. Something was definitely weird. "Ooookay," he said. "Thanks.." He'd have to talk to one of the twins about that...

Then, spotting another tower about twenty feet away, connected by a bridge up by the top, he hurried toward it. He walked in, and as almost plowed over by a little girl with pigtails. Her face paled for just a second, then she began bouncing again when Zack laughed. "Guess what?" The girl shouted. Zack indulged her. "His Highness-" A greying woman admonished her shouting from further in the room. She continued in a whisper, "His Highness came down here the other day, and when I asked, he said he'll marry me...when I'm older!" Zack couldn't help it- he burst into peals of laughter. The girl scowled at him.

Then he realized that he recognized the voice of the woman. It was the voice of the lady who came to tell Edgar about the arrival of Locke and Terra.

He approached her, and she looked up at him. "Are you Matron?" he blurted out finally.

The woman smiled gently and nodded. "I assume you know Edgar well if the guards let you in here."

Zack snorted. "I didn't see any guards. Why? Where am I?"

Matron laughed. "The King's private quarters."

Zack blinked. "...and I just walked in here through an unlocked door?"

A look that was almost sly crept onto the woman's face. "I guess so."

Zack suppressed the urge to ask what the heck was going on, replacing it with a joke. "Edgar must be pretty lonely if he lets people waltz right in."

But instead of laughing, Matron's gaze became distant. "He has been, since Sabin left. Edgar has a twin brother, you know."

Zack chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. It was not his place to tell her. "You don't say?" he said.

"I wonder where he is," she mused. "He was such a nice boy. I wish I could see what he's like now."

Zack softened. "I...I think he's okay."

Matron nodded slowly. "I hope so," she said, and paused. "Because it's partially my fault he left."

Zack started. "What do you mean?"

_Sabin sat on the steps, crying for the first time since he was a young boy. Edgar stepped quietly out of the main hall, as if afraid if he walked too heavily, the world would shatter. Or, maybe it already had. "So...he didn't make it." The older twin's voice was subdued- a complete opposite to the loudly voiced grief before him. _

_"Edgar..." Sabin's voice cracked, and he turned toward his brother for a moment, reassuring himself he was there. Then he swiveled forward again._

_At that moment, however, a middle-aged woman came through the same door Edgar had. "There you are," she said. "Your father...he just said he entrusts Figaro to the both of you. They were his final words."_

_Even before he did anything, Edgar knew something in his brother snapped. Then Sabin whirled around, leaping to his feet. "You all make me sick! Everyone's saying the Empire had dad poisoned, and all any of you can talk about is the next successor! No one's even SAD!" More and more, the younger twin began to look like a trapped animal. "Nobody probably cared when Mom died after we were born, either!"_

_The woman shook her head, alarmed. "That's not-"_

_But in a moment, Sabin was there, grabbing her by the shoulder and pushing her back. "You're just as bad as the rest of them!" he shouted._

_"Sabin..." Edgar breathed._

_"Empire of murders! They won't get away with this!" Then Sabin pushed the woman aside, rushing to the stairs._

_The woman tried to follow, but Edgar walked past her solemnly. He spoke, the only command he ever gave her- his voice cold and numb. "Matron...leave us."_

~/*\~

Zack was walking back to the main structure in a haze. The complications were really starting to pile up. There was so much trouble just in this world, let alone worrying about how to get back to his own. And now that they were here in Figaro...Zack really needed to do something to look for Cloud. Even as he thought of his friend, he felt a wave of guilt and helplessness wash over him. It was almost like they were back in the labs, in the early days when Hojo would take Cloud away for what seemed like time that stretched on forever; not knowing where he was or what was happening to him. And he couldn't do anything about it. Oh, but he did try. He bruised himself and bloodied his hands trying to get out of there. And then came the mako tanks. It was too late by then...

Here the ex-SOLDIER stopped his train of thought, forcibly unclenching his fists so that his nails no longer brought blood to the surface of his skin. But Cloud needed him. He knew it. And even if he was awake somehow, Zack had promised to stick with him. Because they were friends, and that's what friends did for each other. Especially when you're as close as brothers. But what about Sabin, and Edgar? Could he really ask for so much when these two deserved their own happy reunion?

"Hey," came a quiet voice, breaking apart his thoughts with a single word.

Zack looked over to the newcomer, and recognized her. Who couldn't, when the person in question has green hair. Easily picked out in a crowd, just like Cloud's.

Zack pulled on a smile. "Hey. It's...Terra, right?"

"Right. Terra," she confirmed, though it almost seemed she was reassuring herself as well. She smiled bitterly. "It's the only thing I'm holding onto."

Zack stood and faced her with his legs apart, arms crossed. He scratched the back of his neck again. "Yeah, well I know what it's like to be hanging on to yourself by just a thread like that."

Terra looked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent like a child's. "Really?" she asked.

Suddenly, Zack realized how much he didn't want to talk about it. With a start he noticed he was almost shaking. The memories were too close, too clear. "I...yes. It's a long story."

The girl bit her lip and nodded, hands clasped in front of her. "Okay," she said simply.

Zack started fidgeting when Terra said nothing else. "So.." he began, "I thought you'd hit the hay already." She gave him a confused look. Right. Absolutely no memory. "Umm...went to sleep. What brings you out here, wandering around by yourself?"

Terra laughed nervously. "It's silly." Zack prompted her anyway. "I...I had a dream."

"A dream?" queried Zack, cocking his head curiously. "What about? Was it a memory?"

Terra looked away, blushing. "I...I don't know." She took a shaky breath. "I hope not." The last part was added under her breath. Zack wouldn't have heard it if not for his enhanced senses. So he didn't react to it.

"Let's take a walk! I'm guessing you're out here to clear you head?" asked Zack, bouncing and doing a few squats. He could certainly understand not wanting to talk about something.

Terra nodded again. "I couldn't sleep. At least, not after that. I thought nobody would be up by now..."

That last statement made Zack wonder exactly how long he'd been exploring. It was pretty dark by now. "Come on," he said. "There's still a lot to see! I wanna know if those guards let you up on the walls..." He gave a wink.

He started out toward the doorway on the right of the courtyard, but Terra called him back shyly. "I've already been over there," she said. "That leads to where I'm sleeping." We could probably get to the walls from there...but, well...there's these rooms of off the atrium I saw..."

Zack grinned, giving her a light pat on the shoulder. "It's as good as seen!"

~/*\~

When the passage on the right of the atrium turned out to be a prison, Zack and Terra decided to try the one on the left. To their surprise, there were more guards around it than the prison. "What's down here?" asked Zack casually, craning his neck and hopping about to get a better view, even when a guard stepped in his way.

"The king has other interests he indulges in on his spare time. He comes here whenever he can, which isn't as often anymore. You're friends of his, right?" said the guard.

"Yeah," Zack replied, letting out an impatient huff. "But you still haven't told me what's down there!"

"Go see for yourself," the guard retorted with a smile.

"Hey, thanks, man!" exclaimed Zack. He turned to Terra. "You comin' with?" She nodded and followed him down the stairs.

Coming into the room below was a shock, especially for Zack. While the rest of the castle seemed rustic, this room was shiny with metal and smelled of oil. There was another staircase on the other end of the little room that led further down. He was about to take a step onto it, indulging his curiosity, when an old man came out of his place at the corner, where he had been watching. He planted himself in front of the two. "You can't go down there. It's too dangerous!" he said.

Zack rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, man! Danger is my middle name!"

"No," was the reply, firm and immutable and not leaving room for argument.

"Okay, okay man! Sheesh, I get it!" Zack smiled as he and Terra got kicked out. He thought he saw the old man smiling too. He wouldn't make a big deal. After all, he didn't want make a big commotion involving guards.

~/*\~

The next morning found the five at breakfast in an elaborate dining hall, unlike the informal dinner in the study the day before. However, neither Terra, Locke, Zack, or the twins got much sleep at all. The first three due to dreams, while Edgar and Sabin were suspected by the others to have not slept at all. But all were as cheerful as one could be in times like those.

Edgar turned to Terra and Zack as he cut his food into neat pieces. "Well," he said, pulling a smile, "how do you like my castle?"

"Weeeellll..." Zack drawled, fully intending on drilling the young king on the oddities of his home.

But then they were all distracted by Locke laughing, the thief looking directly at Sabin.

The Blitz student was licking the syrup off his plate. Edgar laughed until tears came to his eyes, and he wiped them away chuckling.

"I guess you must have tried very hard to forgot Matron's manners lessons!" Edgar said finally. "I'm just imagining the look on her face!"

Zack was reminded of the look the woman had had on her face the day before, when she spoke of Sabin. Then he remembered what he wanted to ask Edgar. "Hey," he said. "I was looking around, and found that techno-room. What is it you do down there? Is it true you actually have interest in something other than ladies?" he teased.

Sabin shot his brother an amused look, but nobody has time to reply before a soldier suddenly burst into the room.

"King Edgar!" he shouted. "Somebody from the Empire here to see you!"

* * *

><p>Ahhhh! See, this is what happens when I try to write a long chapter with a minimum amount of writing muse. Trust me, all of my writing has been slow, not just this! Thanks to all my very patient readers. -_- I really wanted to finish the Figaro castle part by the end of the chapter, but from now on I'll just post whatever I have once a week is up. Oh, and please tell me if my writing seems a bit rushed. It just feels that way to me...I don't know. Maybe it's because it's really late (or should I say early :P) and my brain is burned out.<p>

Next: the group gets a little visit from a certain villain...;) Annd hopefully I can write Cloud in again too...:)


	8. Visits

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Edgar rose to his feet quickly, and the others all followed suit. But the king only shook his head.

"It's probably Kefka," he said. "He's difficult to handle in normal situations, and the situation we're in is far from normal. It's best to have everyone stay back at least to just outside the main hall. Terra, of course, must be completely out of sight. This man is...quite unpredictable."

Zack raised a brow and was about to protest, when Locke spoke up. "Kefka?!" he exclaimed. "I've heard...- How do you know it's him?"

"It's probably him because I never get surprise visits," Edgar replied. "Everything normal is scheduled. So this must be important- it must be about Terra. And since this is...a big deal, they would send someone higher up to do the job." He waved off any more questions. "I should get down there. Knowing him, he's probably traumatizing my soldiers."

~/*\~

"Edgar, you pinhead! Why do you have to live in the middle of a desert?"

No one dared reply. They didn't think the ornate Magitek Knight expected one. All of the Figaran guards in the castle's courtyard stared at the clown-like man cautiously.

But the painted lips of Kefka Palazzo curled upwards, making the two Imperial soldiers that had accompanied him take a subconscious step back. The general still looked frightening when he grinned like that. He cleared his throat, then spoke. "Ahem...there's SAND on my boots!"

The two soldiers on either side of him jumped to clean his boots immediately, but Kefka stopped them. "No...I want THEM to do it!" he said, gesturing to the Figarans. He laughed then, and the sound seared itself into the minds of all present with a screeching glee that came from only his dark twisted mind. "Let's see just how obedient this nation is..."

"Kefka!"

Everyone turned their heads toward the call, and saw Edgar Roni Figaro sauntering down the steps and into the lower courtyard. He wore a charming smile, with his arms outstretched in a manner of greeting. "What brings the servants of Emperor Gestahl into our lowly presence?" As he came to a stop just in front of the Imperials, he added under his breath, "Looking for more cities to destroy?"

Kefka answered him. "A girl of no importance recently escaped from us. We heard she found refuge here."

Edgar turned and walked back a step or two to hide a smirk. "This wouldn't have to do with the 'witch' _everyone's_ been whispering about, would it?"

The coolness that Kefka had worked to build broke for a second. "Lies!" he screeched, making Edgar turn toward him again. Then he reigned it in again. "She...merely stole something of minor value. Is she here?"

"That's a tough one," drawled Edgar, feigning deep thought while tapping his chin. "You see, there are more girls here than grains of sand out there- I can't possibly keep track of them all!"

Then, very subtly, a knife was made visible in the folds of Kefka's many-layered cloths. Edgar caught sight of it immediately, but made no indication. The madman waved it gently back and forth, the sharp glint taunting. "I'd hate to be you if we found out you're lying," he said. But then Kefka's gaze flickered to the Figarans that were watching. A slow smile spread across the madman's face as he finally turned his back and headed back to the gates. "I truly hope nothing happens to your precious Figaro!..." He laughed again, short and biting, before the doors closed on him, leaving him to the desert.

Edgar stared after him for a moment before hurrying back up to the main hall. Sabin, Zack, and Locke were all standing at the door, trying to appear nonchalant. At the moment though, the king could care less whether they spied or not.

"Now _that's_ not the clown I'd hire for a kid's party," said Zack.

Edgar didn't even acknowledge the remark. "Where's Terra?" he asked crisply.

"Just inside," answered Locke. "So that's the fearsome Kefka...I'd say he's missing a few buttons.."

"I would've just punched him," added Sabin honestly.

Locke laughed and patted him on the back. "I'm sure Edgar wanted to, but he also didn't want to start a war."

To their surprise, Edgar just pushed past them to the hall's door. "I may have already by keeping her here,' he said lowly.

Terra opened it before he got there, however. From the look on her face, she must have heard him. "I-I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'll leave..."

Edgar's expression softened. "What's done is done, m'lady," he said to her. "And though it may have caused trouble, I don't regret helping you." He looked back at Sabin. "And I knew I couldn't hide behind careful politics forever." Sabin gave him a smile. Then the king shook his head. "Ah, but I'm afraid I can't talk now. I must speak with the Chancellor about our strategy."

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

Cloud had been listening. It was nearly all he _could_ do. They had moved him from the general's tent into what seemed like a tent of his own, situated just behind the first. He was tied up well this time, though he still felt that heavy weakness from when he first woke up. He had rubbed his wrists raw already in futile attempts.

'_How pathetic.'_

Cloud almost jumped at the voice. Nobody had spoken aloud. However, the voice seemed eerily familiar. Unbidden, images of a burning Nibelheim sprung to his mind. No, he could never forget that voice. But there was no way that a thought not his own could appear in his head. Was he dreaming? "What...?"

The blonde gasped as a flash of pain shot through his head, leaving behind a faint buzzing. He thought for a moment he could hear laughter, then everything stopped at once. It almost left him dizzy.

~/*\~

A little bit later, Cloud was distracted by voices coming once more from the general's tent. He still surprised himself at not having to strain his ears much at all, even though they spoke in low voices. He began catching snatches of the words.

"...sent another message." It was General Leo.

Low mumbling was heard, then a question. A soldier?

"He had already talked to the king...something about...*too low to hear*...threatened him." The next words were angry, allowing Cloud to hear them clearly. "He can't do that! A king, any king, is higher than a general! We already have Doma to deal with, and everyone knows how powerful Figaro is!"

Then the other voice again. "...direct orders from...*unintelligible* ...himself?"

"He may have had orders, but I still don't think it wise. I believe that King Edgar is more clever than he lets on. I'm still worried for the people of Figaro. Now that Kefka has told me of his decision to hang around Figaro a while longer...there's no telling what he might do."

~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~

About an hour after Kefka had left, Locke, Sabin, Terra, and Zack were still sitting outside the council room. Sitting being a relative term. Zack had been doing squats for the last ten minutes or so. Terra and Sabin were impressed, while Locke was still counting them lazily as he played with the bandanna that usually sat on his head.

"217, 218, 219..."

Sabin shot him a look. "You seriously have nothing better to do?"

The treasure hunter flopped back in his chair resignedly. "And what have you been doing this whole time? He's been in there forever!"

Terra was almost glad that Zack finally stood still. It was tiring just to watch him. She bit her lip. This whole situation was her fault...'

"Hey," said a voice. "I know that look!" Terra was startled out of her thoughts so see Zack staring at her with an odd smile on his face. "I've had experience with the it's-all-my-fault look..."

Terra blushed when they all turned to look at her. "I-"

Locke saw the problem, and diverted the attention. "Whew...you know, I'd hate being a king! Having to sit through all these boring meetings..." He gave a roguish smile and elbowed Terra playfully. But apparently that was the wrong thing to say at the moment. But is wasn't Terra that was upset by the words.

Everyone only watched at first as Sabin got up abruptly and left the room. Then Locke and Zack got up at the same time. The treasure hunter scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Go ahead. You've known him longer," he muttered, then gave a small smile. "I'll apologize when he gets back, I promise."

"Right."

~/*\~

It actually took longer than he thought it would to find Sabin, though he wasn't too surprised. After all, the runaway knew the place a lot better than he did. After being pointed in the right direction by various Figarans, Zack finally found Sabin on the top of the tallest tower- the restricted-access one that rose from the back of the royal hall.

The blonde was standing with his back to Zack, his eyes pointed to the desert horizon beyond.

"You know, we haven't had a single chance to talk since the moment we got here."

"Yeah," replied Sabin gruffly. "It's been pretty busy, though."

But Zack was never one for much subtlety. "C'mon, what's up?"

The man gave a short laugh. "I've never been good with words, and even I don't know 'what's up.'"

Zack, however, thought he did have some idea. But it was not his place to pry. "Hey, why don't you talk to Edgar about it?" he suggested with a clap on the back. "They'll probably be done soon."

~/*\~

The meeting _was_ done with soon after, but it wasn't until later that Sabin got to talk to his brother alone.

Edgar was standing in his private chambers staring at the Figaro family portrait when his twin pulled back the curtain and came to stand beside him.

"You were actually a little taller than me back then," said Sabin, crossing his arms.

Edgar gave a short laugh. "Not so anymore, I'm afraid."

There was a silence then. It was a comfortable one until Sabin started fidgeting. As always, his brother could tell that something was wrong. But he didn't even have to ask.

"I...I've been thinking about what happened to Dad," admitted Sabin softly. The younger twin stared at the man's face in the painting. Then Edgar saw his brother's defenses fall, revealing the deep fear he'd been holding in. "Ed...do you...are you ever afraid that..."

"That the same thing might happen to me?" Edgar finished softly. Sabin turned to him quickly, focusing then on his brother. "...Yes. I've...thought about it a lot." He laughed bitterly. "For the longest time after my coronation I could hardly drink a thing. And now with Kefka..." he shook his head. "It's hard to trust people if you're constantly on the lookout for threats. Eventually...I just had to let it go and move on."

Sabin looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry..."

Edgar turned and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him to look up. "Don't be," he said. "No regrets, no hard feelings. You remember, right?"

Slowly, Sabin nodded. "Yeah. You're right," he said, though he still looked unsettled. "Heh. Since when did we have heart-to-hearts?"

Edgar rolled his eyes. "Just go to bed already."

Sabin was about to leave when he turned around. "Hey, Edgar...just don't let your responsibilities you have now make you lose sight of you own dreams."

The king raised a brow, but conceded anyway. "I won't...in fact, I think you'll be seeing a result of my work soon. Remember my plans for the castle...renovations?"

Sabin couldn't help but laugh. "Wait! So you actually made that work?"

Edgar elbowed him. "Did you doubt I would?"

"I'll have to see it to believe it!" Sabin shot back as he exited the room.

"Um..Sabin?" Edgar called, though something about his tone changed dramatically, as if there was something else he wanted to get out. But his brother was already on his way. "Nevermind.."

~/*\~

Even though Sabin felt much better after talking with Edgar, he found he still couldn't seem to get a wink of rest. Hours dragged by, and Sabin watched through the window as the moon slowly rose.

It felt like an eternity before he finally dozed off. But it was his training in the outdoors that awakened him just before daybreak. Something was...off. He looked over to see Zack, who was assigned as his roommate, still asleep. It was then his hearing kicked in to pick up the sound of people screaming. After one whiff of the air, he leapt out of bed; nearly tripping over his feet in a rush to wake up Zack. But the ex-SOLDIER flew awake at the growing din, looking to Sabin for answers.

"The castle's under attack!"

* * *

><p>Ahaha! Cliffhanger! ..sorry guys...^_^ I'd write more but I'm literally falling asleep right now..<p>

So Sabin's kind of like an emotional teenage girl in this chapter. But I think it makes sense. See, in the game he's reunited with Edgar out in the mountains. I think that getting to the castle so early here would not only bring back a ton of memories, but seeing his brother sitting on that throne would be a lot to have sink in. For anyone. Then there's the guilt thing and the fear of losing Edgar like they lost their dad. So yeah.

Thanks everyone for the reviews! Endlos Nacht, Irish Brigid, and findthetiger129- I love hearing from you! :)


	9. Sand Castles and Fleeing the Coop

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Zack and Sabin rushed out into the courtyard just as the alarm bells started wailing. They could see no invading soldiers, but that didn't mean there weren't any. Everything was shrouding by a heavy black smoke, clinging to their throats and leaving them coughing and their eyes stinging.

Then, with a stroke of luck, the sun burst into the sky; its glare multiplied by the bright sand. The rays shot holes through the smoke and weakened it, and though visibility was still poor, it cleared enough to see the scene unfolding below.

The two saw Edgar nose to nose with Kefka, both of whom appeared to be shouting.

"What do you think you're doing?!" cried Edgar, ignoring the fires around him. He was burning with anger, though a tinge of fear found its way into his voice.

Kefka laughed, long and shrill. "I have a score of Magitek armor poised to scorch down this pitiful castle of yours. However I, being as _virtuous_ as I am, am here to...parley!"

It was not often that Edgar Roni Figaro lost his temper, but he did at that moment. Making a sound suspiciously close to a snarl, he somehow stepped even more threateningly closer to the madman. "Parley for what? The life of a girl that came to me seeking protection? The same girl you would use without thought to human dignity?" It was no use hiding the facts at this point. "Don't lecture me about virtue, Kefka, when you risk the lives of hundreds to enslave one with the innocence of a child!"

Again Kefka laughed, their faces so close that Edgar felt his breath. "Then welcome to my barbeque!" he shrieked. Edgar gasped as Kefka raised his arms, the Imperial soldiers at his sides marching out to deliver the command.

Edgar raced up he stairs, meeting Zack and Sabin halfway. He grabbed onto one of them tightly, "Find Locke and Terra," he exclaimed. "Go with them to the stables. Quickly!"

As the two disappeared into the right wing of the castle, Edgar made it up to the upper courtyard. The Chancellor was already there, his unbreakable calm demeanor still intact. There was also the hint of a smile on his usually bland face, as if he knew what Edgar was about to command, and he did. "Get ready," the king ordered.

"Ready to what? Give up the witch?" Edgar whirled around, confusing Kefka, who had apparently followed him, by smirking- an almost roguish, or boyish, smile.

"I guess I have no choice," replied Edgar airily, walking over to the edge of the castle wall where the sand could be seen below. He signaled to a guard down there, then turned back to Kefka. "Or...maybe I do."

With that, the king of Figaro leaped off the edge, landing carefully on a chocobo below; sinking first into the stirrups before dropping onto the saddle.

In the stable, Zack hurried to mount his own chocobo, then waited as Locke mounted after helping Terra. They rode out to see Edgar laugh, Kefka screaming obscenities at him from the courtyard above. "Dive, now!" they heard Edgar shout. Then the five spurred their steeds forward, speeding across the ground.

A rumbling sound, however, compelled Zack to look back the way they came. He watched in disbelief as the great Figaro castle began to close itself off; the towers were pulled in, the windows and doors sealed away. Then, before his eyes, the whole structure sank into the sand, leaving Kefka Palazzo stranded.

"_No one can touch the people of Figaro!"_

* * *

><p>Hey everyone! Sorry about the length...at least you got a very action-packed chapter! This was a little hard to write, mainly because this is a very cool scene in the game and it's also a bit unrealistic. O_o I wrote all this anyway, but really- how could you land perfectly on a chocobo like that...and without injury to yourself or the chocobo? *sigh...* Sometimes you just have to roll with it though...I was too tired to change anything. (I really should stop writing them late at night then..lol.) One of the reasons that this week's update is short, though- I made a trailer for this story! :D It's pretty crappy since it's my first time doing something like that, but hey, I like it. ^_^ Hehehe- my first YouTube video! I'll put the link on my profile!<p>

I'm sorry I never got to respond individually for you reviews, but I thank you whole-hertedly now!


	10. Fire Away

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Zack hardly blinked as a stream of ice magic shot past his chocobo, coming from the Magitek armor behind him. They were being pursued.

"I think we can outrun'em!" shouted Locke over the din of machinery being pushed to its limits behind them. "Chocobos are way faster!"

"Only if you wanna get fried!" Sabin shouted back at him. "I don't think their aim is terrible enough to miss us THAT much."

But Zack had only one thing to say. Turning to Edgar, he yelled, "What was THAT?"

The king laughed, obviously amused despite the situation. "Figaro's greatest secret!" They were interrupted by a fire blast that blew a hole in the sand in front of them. "I'll tell you more later, if you really want."

"Hey, sorry to interrupt your little chat," called Locke, "But we DO have a situation here." He pointed a thumb back in the direction of the three armors dispatched to kill them. Another beam of ice grazed the foot of Sabin's chocobo, which squawked loudly and slowed to a halt. Locke noticed that they had not yet shot at Terra.

"I think it's time to stand and fight!" yelled Sabin, pulling a pair of clawed gloves over his hands.

"Are you sure about this?" Terra spoke for the first time since leaving her room.

"Psh. I've fought countless robots," Zack said. "This should be simple." With that, he leaped off his mount in one motion, drawing the Buster sword.

Locke dismounted in the same fashion, landing heavily while he drew only a long dagger.

Edgar circled around with his chocobo, pulling a long sword from its sheath. He dismounted more carefully then his companions.

Zack smiled. It seemed that he wasn't the only one who thought to arm himself. He then glanced at Terra. The Magitek armor would be on them in moments, but she was the only one who had no weapon.

Locke seemed to notice this as well. "Terra! You should keep moving! Get out of here! We'll meet you at the edge of the desert- just keep going south!"

After a moment's hesitation, Terra made her way back to the chocobo. But it was already too late for flight.

As the Magitek approached, Edgar pulled out a strange metal device, aiming it at the opponant. Five thin metal shafts poked out, and Zack watched as arrowheads formed on them, unflattening themselves from the shafts. _It's a crossbow, _Zack realized as the strange metal arrows were released. "Aim for the pilots!" Edgar shouted. "They control the machines!"

Three of Edgar's arrows struck the pilot in the first armor, but surprisingly, the persistent man was only partially debilitated. Because of this, though, Edgar was kept very busy dodging blasts.

At that point, the five of them were surrounded. If the armors did not require time for charging blasts, Zack was sure they would have been fried. Taking the initiative then, Zack charged the nearest armor, shocking everyone by leaping all the way to the top of the machine- swinging up using a turret. He swiftly knocked the pilot unconscious with the flat of his blade.

The limp body then slumped onto the controls, causing the machine to lurch violently, flinging Zack back onto the ground. Sabin took the time to give him a high-five.

When Zack began to rush the next armor, the martial artist held him back with a wink. "Watch this- I'm gonna hit 'im with a Blitz!"

However, he never got the chance. A strange green smoke came from the first machine that Edgar had attacked, wrapping around all of them. They felt as if their bodies were being weighed down..._Poison! _They all realized the cause then, and struggled against the affects. Zack looked around wildly. "Does...does anyone have an Antidote?"

Because of the commotion, nobody noticed Terra at first. Her small hands balled into fists and she staggered onto her feet again, almost looking as if she were whispering something to herself. It was then that a bright glow like flame surrounded her hands, matching the fury and desperation in her eyes. "FIRE!" she screamed, extending her hands in front of her.

That drew the attention of the others. They all watched as flame enveloped the last two machines, eliminating the opponents for good.

Edgar, who had just applied the first Antidote to Locke, just stood there in shock- forgetting for a moment the predicament of the two still poisoned, and, for that matter, the rest of the world.

For Locke, though, it hadn't quite sunken in. "What?" he said, trying to grab for the other antidotes when Edgar went still. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

Edgar took a step forward, openly staring at Terra. "Did...d-do you see that?" The usually collected king was considerably ruffled.

Locke stepped up next to him. "Yeah, that girl's loaded for bear..."

Edgar spun around and gripped him by the shoulders. "Locke!" he practically shouted. "That was MAGIC! M-A-G-I-C! Open your eyes!"

Locke visibly jerked when it dawned on him. "M-m-m-m-m-m-magic?!" he stammered, gaping now at the scene before him. "But I thought it was...she used MAGIC?"

Zack and Sabin took the matter of curing themselves into their own hands as Edgar cautiously stepped forward. "Terra...where on earth did you learn that?"

Terra just stared down at her own hands in shock, horrified and as shocked and startled as everyone else. "I'm...sorry. Sorry."

Locke seemed to snap to attention at this and hurried to her side. "No, Terra- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make such a big deal of this."

Sabin strode to her side as well. "I'm sure Edgar didn't either." he said gruffly, giving Edgar a look, who nodded. "It's just...we've never actually SEEN magic before. Not real magic."

"So you don't have anything like my world's materia?" Zack spoke up, crossing his arms. "That would explain your reaction. Without materia, though...well, I can think of someone...!"

"But in both worlds," Edgar cut in, "normal people can't use magic without aid?"

Terra stopped moving, and stared at the king in horror.

"Edgar!" Locke yelled.

"Hey, it's not bad if you can!" Zack shouted back. "My-"

"Enough!" bellowed Locke. "She can use magic, we can't! That's the only difference!"

Everyone shut up after that, and shuffled around in silence for a bit. Terra shot Locke a grateful look.

Edgar sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Terra, look. I'm sorry. We're all just trying to figure this out." He reached out to her, but she flinched. He dropped his hand.

"Yeah," said Locke. "The fact is, we could really use your help!" His cheery attitude was returning. He turned towards the king. "I think we should take her to Banon." Edgar nodded.

"Who's that?" asked Zack, cocking his head to the side.

"The leader of the Returners."

* * *

><p>WOOOHOO! Chapter 10! I feel pretty accomplished...haha. Ok ok...I guess it's not that much. O_o<p>

But yeah. This is a pretty important scene. I also found a way to keep that first reaction-to-Terra's-magic dialogue between Edgar and Locke, as that was pretty funny in the original game! :) But now...to the Returners hideout! ...And closer to Cloud...! ;) Don't worry, I WILL try to get him back as soon as possible..

Well, this was a crazy week. The power went out due to a hurricane so I couldn't get on until I reviewed Irish Brigid and findthetiger129's stories...so I kind of decided to keep that as my thank-you to you guys! ^_^ You do get magical virtual cookies and brownies though- as does my new reviewer, xaonrider92! Thanks to you all! :D


	11. Thieves, Dreams, and Shiny Things

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Nobody said much at first in the next leg of the journey. Nobody exactly knew what to say, which was a feat considering every member of the group with the exception of Terra was a naturally talkative person.

Terra herself was seated behind Locke on the largest chocobo- doubling up to give Sabin's injured chocobo a break. She tightened her grip around his middle when the large yellow bird stumbled. She sighed, taking a deep breath as the bird caught itself, then realized she was still shaking from her distressing experience earlier that day. This time she didn't slacken her hold on Locke again. She admitted to herself that it wasn't just because she was afraid of falling off. She was afraid in general, and somehow Locke being there made her feel secure. Terra supposed it was because Locke had been there for her from pretty much the start. It was strange to think that had been only about a week before.

"Locke..." she intoned suddenly. The man glanced back at her with a smile to indicate he was listening. "Why did you promise to protect me like that?"

For a moment, Terra swore she saw Locke freeze, before he regained his composure. "How could I not pledge my help to a damsel in distress?" he answered with a wink.

Terra could see through the joke, but decided to let it go for now. She wasn't really in the mood, and Locke obviously did not intend to enlighten her. She also noticed that the pain in her leg was increasing- and she knew that she had sustained an injury during the battle. She had been keeping quiet, however- not wanting to draw any more attention to herself that day.

"Hey," called Sabin suddenly from the front of the group. "Why don't we stop for the night? It's been a long...difficult day and the chocobos, not to mention me, are tired."

Zack, who had been riding in the back for his turn holding the reigns of the unridden chocobo, took a good look at the sky. They still had some time before the sun set, and though inwardly he agreed with Sabin's reasoning, he also remembered what the martial artist had said on the journey to the castle. "But didn't we get all the way through this part of the desert in one go before?" he asked aloud. "As much as I want to stop, I really don't want to sleep in the sand if we don't have to."

Just then, however, the chocobo beside him made the descision for them. It squawked loudly, as if it had heard what was said, and stopped in its tracks. After a few minutes of trying to get it to move, Zack threw his hands up in defeat. "That's it!" he exclaimed. "We're camping right here!"

Sabin laughed. "Well, I'm glad you see it my way- or at least the chocobo does!"

Zack shot a humored glare at him before moving to dismount, along with the others.

Locke leapt off the chocobo first, then reached his hand up to help Terra down. She took it hesitantly, then gasped at the sharp pain that shot through her leg at the motion. Locke caught her as she dropped from the large yellow bird. Blushing, Terra mumbled a thank you and began to pull away. Locke almost let her too, before he caught sight of the blood seeping through her tights. "Terra!" he exclaimed, grasping her arm. "That's a nasty cut!"

Terra shook her head quickly, but Locke pulled out an item from the chocobo's side saddle. He held out the potion to her with a wink. "No big deal, right?" he said.

Terra eyed the bottle, taking it in her hands gently. "Where'd you get this," she said lowly, still not wanting to attract the attention of the group.

Locke grinned at her impishly, then replied, "I borrowed it from the kind gentlemen on the Magitek armor during the battle."

Zack, who had caught wind of the conversation thanks to his enhanced hearing, butted in. "How did you manage that?!" he exclaimed.

Locke crossed his arms and winked. "Treasure hunter's secret, man!"

Terra glared at Zack. "Were you eavesdropping?" she asked warily.

Zack backpedaled quickly. "No, no! I-"

"AHEM!" everyone turned their heads to Sabin. "If nobody wants to help Ed and I set up camp, you WILL be sleeping directly on the sand."

Everyone scrambled to unpack. Five minutes later, they were all munching hungrily on a short dinner.

"Sooo," drawled Zack, who had been getting sick of the silence. "Wanna talk about the submarine castle now?"

Edgar laughed, setting down his food. "It's a project of mine that I'd been working on for years. Today I finally got the opportunity to use it, though the circumstances were unfortunate."

"Edgar's always loved machines," added Sabin. "Even when we were children he would tinker around with little things. And now, Figaro castle is the most technologically advanced structure in the world, and my brother is the champion of the technological revolution!"

Zack raised a brow. "So that techno-room...it that the engine room or something? It that why people aren't allowed down there?"

Edgar nodded. "Precisely," he said, then brought out the weapon that Zack had seen him use before. "Take a look at this. It's a weapon that I can modify to change into anything I build into it." With that, he pressed something on the weapon, and the others watched as it changed from a crossbow to a drill.

"Cool!" said Zack, reaching for it. Edgar pulled it away, and Zack huffed in mock indignation. "What else can it turn into? A chainsaw?" Zack joked.

Edgar gave him a wink. "I'll see if that can be arranged."

Terra, who had been staring at the weapon, tuned her eyes to the mechanist. "What's it called?" she asked.

Edgar smiled at her. "Since it's one of a kind, I named it Tools."

"Tools?!" yelped Zack. "How incredibly more uncreative can you get?" It looked as if the king was about to protest, but Zack cut him off. "You have to name it, like, Multi-Faceted Harbinger of Death, or Omni-Slayer, or-"

"Enough!" Edgar threw up his hands.

"That's a terrible name!"

Edgar scorched him with a glare.

"We should get some popcorn for this." Locke whispered to Sabin.

~/*\~

Eventually, the group of five settled down and got some rest. But all was far from peaceful. Terra tossed and turned fitfully in her sleep.

_The dream was hazy- the colors blurred and faded. She was in a room made of metal...and..and.._

_ "Oh my sweet little magic user!" cackled a familiar voice. It was that clown! Kefka! She had to get away...but no. She was strapped down to a heavy, bolted chair. She struggled frantically. "With this slave crown, I'll practically OWN you!" The voice laughed again, finally coming around to stand in her line of vision. He was holding that thing that Arvis had showed her when she first woke up. It was the Slave crown. She cried out and renewed her struggles. _

_ But as the crown was placed on her head, the scene changed. Suddenly she found herself in a suit of Magitek armor. Kefka was there again. "Burn them!" He screeched. "BURN EVERYTHING!" Terra found she had no control over her body as she propelled the machine forward. It was as if she was only able to watch as...as..._

_Her finger moved to the trigger. A stream of flame shot from the armor, killing all the men in front of her._

_ No, no, no, no NO NO!" _

Terra shot awake, breathing hard. She lifted her hand to brush away the tears that had slipped from her eyes. Why did she have that dream again? She had had it first in Figaro castle. She pulled in a shaky breath. Oh, she knew why she had that dream that night. She had reenacted the second part of it.

Terra got to her feet so quickly she had to catch herself when the blood rushed from her head. There was nowhere to go at this point so she sat a little ways off in the still-warm sand. It wasn't long, however, before she realized she wasn't the only one who had nightmares. Locke was moaning in his sleep. "no.." he muttered. Lines appeared on his face, his distress in the dream showing itself. "Rachel!" he yelled, for a moment seeming like he would wake. Terra looked back out to the desert when he slipped back into a restless, though dreamless, sleep. She was alone with her thoughts.

* * *

><p>Phew! I'm finally back! Don't worry guys, after this I'll be back to my normal schedule! :)<p>

Oh, and in my more recent comments, somebody suggested that this story is basically the storyline of FFVI with Zack's name added in. So far, yeah. Maybe it is. But in the original game we wouldn't have met Sabin yet, there wouldn't be a dimensional rift that will slowly get bigger, and much, much more. ^_^ This is just the beginning, so bear with me. There's some more differences soon, and they just get more extreme.

Thanks for your time! And sorry for the kind of filler chapter...

Next Chapter: Possible Cloud point of view, and the meeting of the next eventual party member! Those of my readers who have played VI know who I'm talking about! :D He's one of my favorites...I'm excited!


	12. Shadows in South Figaro

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

The next day, they were out of the desert in little over two hours. Cool grass and the shade of trees had never seemed so welcoming. Edgar seemed to knew where he was going, so it wasn't long before they reached the mountains.

"Hey," said Zack, looking up at the peaks curiously. "Isn't this by your place, Sabin?"

Sabin shook his head. "Nah, that's more to the east. It's pretty close though. Maybe we can stop by on the way from the town of South Figaro to the Returner's hideout."

"How do we get over the mountains?" asked Terra, glancing at them with a hint of apprehension.

Edgar gave her a wink. "We, don't, m'lady!" he gestured at some point ahead. "We go under them!"

They rounded a bend to see a Figaran soldier standing guard at the entrance to a cave. He was busy talking to his chocobo, stroking it and feeding it greens as he waited for his shift to end. The bird noticed them first, letting out a surprised 'wark,' making the soldier jump to attention, recognizing the king right away. "King Edgar, sir! Where are you headed?"

"South Figaro," the machinist answered smoothly. "Return to the castle, and tell the Chancellor we're fine." The soldier saluted, and mounted his chocobo, preparing to leave. "Wait," said Edgar then, as an afterthought. "Take the chocobos with you. They won't go in the caves. One of them is injured."

The others gave up their rides, some more reluctantly than others, and then they entered the caves.

~/*\~

The underground journey was uneventful, but provided a welcome change in temperature and scenery. They dispatched the many small monsters easily enough, and came out on the other side relatively unscathed. Even so, they all let out a sigh of relief when they saw the town in the distance.

"I don't care what time it is," said Locke as they approached. "As soon as we see an inn, I'm taking a nap."

The gates to the town were open, but before they walked in, Edgar stopped and tapped his chin in thought. The others walked on ahead of him, but stopped and turned around when he called for them to wait. "Go in and get me some street clothes. I don't want a whole ruckus about me being here." Locke gave him a thumbs up. "And no stealing!"

Sabin laughed. "Sure thing...though you might want to do something about that hair!"

Edgar huffed. "I'm not cutting it if that's what you mean!"

Sabin through his hands up in defeat. "Fine! Be that way!" As he walked into the town, he loudly whispered to Zack conspiratorially, "Maybe we'll just leave him out here..."

Zack heard Edgar laugh sarcastically behind them.

~/*\~

Though South Figaro held a good portion of the Figaran military, it still managed to be a warm, cozy sort of town. Zack, Sabin, Terra, and Locke walked for a bit on the stone bridges and pathways until they came to some shops. Zack looked at some of the weapons while Sabin bought the clothes.

Coming back to the entrance, they again passed the pub/inn and Locke looked imploringly at it. He looked back at the group, then back at the inn. "Alright guys," he announced suddenly. "Whoever _doesn't_ want a nap, give these to Edgar." Everyone except Terra immediately started walking toward the inn. So he shoved the clothes in her arms and followed the others.

The door they entered through was the pub entrance. The group trudged up the flight of stairs into the dining and bar area and found a place to sit. It was a nice place. The lighting was warm, flower vases decorated the tables...

"So why does everybody look so nervous?" inquired Zack with a raised brow. All the people around them seemed to be whispering. And all of them were shooting apprehensive glances toward the bar. The group followed their eyes.

A man sat there alone; face masked, dressed all in black. A thin blade hung at his hip, his lean body hunched over his drink. An enormous, muscular dog sat still as stone next to his stool. It poked his hand with its nose, and he slipped it something under the counter.

Locke was the first to get up and investigate, sliding into the seat next to the man. Zack and Sabin came up behind him. "Hi," greeted the ex-SOLDIER cheerfully. "My name is Zack Fair." The masked man didn't even look at him.

"Hey!" called Locke. "You could at least smile!" The man didn't smile, but this time fixed him with an icy glare. Locke almost jumped back in surprise. The man's face was dyed a dark blue, and his eyes were strange; misted over in a way Locke had never seen before.

Zack took the liberty to sit on the other side of the man in black. "I'll have what he's having," he told the bartender.

Suddenly, he was taken aback by a low growling sound that wasn't coming from the dog. "Get lost,' the stranger said, speaking for the first time. His voice was low, laced with venom and a hidden warning.

Zack sighed, about to get up and go back to the table, when multiple things happened at once. Sabin reached down to give the dog a pat, and the next second he was being thrown against the wall by the man in black. He was shockingly fast. "The dog bites," he growled. The room went utterly silent.

At that moment, however, the door burst open, and two people came running up the stairs. "Sabin!" called Edgar quickly, approaching the scene.

The shrouded man let go of the martial artist, who looked as if he were about to fight back. But Edgar, with quick steps, grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him back across the room. Zack and Locke followed. The stranger returned to his seat calmly.

"What do you think you're doing?" whispered Edgar fiercely, casting a glance or two back in the direction of the bar. "I leave you for ten minutes..."

"What? do you know who he is?" asked Zack.

"That's Shadow," Edgar answered seriously. "The world's deadliest assassin. They say he'd slit his mamma's throat for a gil." The others looked back at Shadow in surprise. "Come on," said Edgar. "Let's get a room."

The group then followed Edgar into the inn area, and the king approached the front desk. "Good evening, sir," he said cordially, giving the manager a smile. "We'd like a room..."

"Two rooms, actually," cut in Locke. Edgar looked at him. Locke gave a look back. "I think you can afford it," said the thief sarcastically. "Terra gets her own room."

Edgar put a hand to his heart, as if mortified. "Why of course she does!" he exclaimed. "Who do you think I am!"

Locke rolled his eyes. "I just hope you didn't do anything traumatizing when she went to give you those clothes."

Edgar just winked at him. "You know I'm a perfect gentleman." he responded. "I did nothing of the sort."

The inn's manager handed them the keys to their rooms, and Edgar handed him the gil. As they walked down the hall, Locke leaned over to Terra and whispered, "Did he?"

Terra laughed softly, shaking her head.

~/*\~

Cloud lifted his head slowly, dragging himself out of another mako-induced slumber, when he heard an unusually loud commotion outside his tent. Through the flaps he could see the shapes of soldiers moving by, quickly, as if frightened. They were whispering nervously. He could hear snatches of their words.

"The clown? He's here?"

"...thought he wasn't supposed to be at this..."

"...Figaro...really angry!"

"Get out of the way!"

"Here he comes!"

Even through his muddled thoughts, Cloud could hear the approach of someone with a loud, shrill voice. The man was screeching at everybody around him. He could even hear some physical blows being dealt out. "Where's General Leo?" the 'clown man' shouted, as he stopped directly in front of Cloud's tent.

Then the man's voice who Cloud had come to be familiar with could be heard. He could see the two men's vague outline through the tent flaps.

"Kefka!" General Leo said with a raised voice. "What have you done? Attacking Figaro..."

A grating, shrill laugh reached Cloud's ears. "Figaro is no longer an Imperial ally!"

Leo didn't miss a beat. "We have no orders to attack that kingdom! Emperor Gesthal..."

"Emperor Gesthal!" cackled Kefka wildly. "Emperor Gesthal ordered me to attack Figaro whether they had the girl or not!"

There was a tense silence. "...What?!"

"Figaro is too powerful to leave unchecked. Did you really think they were on our side anyway? You'd think after we poisoned their last king..."

Leo cut him off, shaking his head. "So what are we going to do?"

Kefka laughed again, shrill and high. "Show them that the Empire means business!"

~/*\~

The next morning, the men prepared their things quickly. Zack walked to the next door and knocked, hoping Terra was already awake. She was, and opened the door almost immediately; fully packed and equipped for the next part of their trip. Zack raised an eyebrow. She looked exhausted.

"Didn't get much sleep?" he asked, more of a statement than a question.

She looked at the ground. "I...uh..."

Zack saved her from a response, clapping her on the back as he began to walk back to his room. "It's fine. We'll be leaving soon, unless you want to do some shopping first." Terra shook her head and followed him.

The group of five checked out and left the building a few minutes later, Terra shooting an apprehensive glance at the now empty bar as they passed it.

They soon reached the town's gate, and looked about as the Figaro brothers, who knew the area best, got their bearings. "It's east, right?" said Sabin, and Edgar looked at him curiously. "I've known about the Returners for a while. Their base is very close to where I've been living, though I don't know the exact location."

"Well, I do," cut in Locke with a grin. "It's this way." With that, he struck of in the direction Sabin had pointed out.

"That's what I said!" called Sabin, jogging after him.

Soon the group had put quite some distance between them and the town, which was rapidly getting smaller in the distance. Terra couldn't help but glance back at it wistfully, now regretting the chance to sleep that she had passed up. But suddenly, something caught her eye, and she gasped. Locke, who was walking next to her, was immediately at attention. "What? What is it?" he asked her, turning around to follow her eyes. Then he saw it. A vast column of soldiers, complete with lines of Magitek armor, was marching toward the city of South Figaro.

"Look!" cried Locke, grabbing Edgar's arm.

As soon as the king saw the army, he cursed and threw the bottle of the water he'd just drank against the nearest tree. "How dare they!" he shouted angrily. He began marching back in the direction of the town.

"Woah!" yelped Sabin, moving to intercept his brother. "Usually you're the one telling me to be sensible, but..."

Edgar took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I know..." he said finally, not tearing his eyes away from the soldiers. "I should've...I'm-!"

"We need to keep moving, Edgar," said Locke seriously. "There's nothing we can do at this point but keep moving, and get help from the Returners."

Edgar shook his head. "...that's a completely different mission." he replied.

But Locke could see he was starting to see sense again. He needed to think of something that would get Edgar to go on. Then it came to him, and he snapped his fingers. "How about this," he said loudly. "I'll sneak back in and see what's up. Whatever happens, I'll send a message to the hideout."

Zack caught on. "That sounds like a plan." He began walking east again, away from the city. He waved his goodbye to Locke. "Good luck!"

Sabin put a hand on Edgar's shoulder. "Hey," he said. "Let's go, alright? They'll be fine."

Finally, as Locke started back to South Figaro, Edgar turned and joined the others. Even so, Sabin could clearly see the guilt on his brother's face.

* * *

><p>Finally! I got the new chapter in! Unfortunately, I don't think Sunday night updates are going to work anymore...it's just too busy! :P<p>

So what do you all think of Shadow? :D I hope his description was okay. He didn't get that violent in the original game, but with the added persistence of Sabin and Zack...he gets that much more frustrated...

And I got some Cloud in! Yay! I can't wait until he rejoins everyone..But now Kefka's with him. And Kefka's angry...O_o

And poor Edgar. Feeling like he let down his kingdom?

Next week: Edgar, Zack, Terra, and Sabin encounter Vargas and get to the Returners...and Cloud meets Kefka


	13. Breaking

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

The next few hours consisted of Zack and Sabin trying to lighten the mood with chatter. Terra kept biting her lip and looking behind her, and Edgar marched on- face expressionless to all but Sabin.

"Hey," called Sabin. "If you guys want to stop for dinner or something, my house is really close now."

Edgar chose not to answer, but Zack agreed. "Sounds like a plan, though I know we can't stay long. Do you think we'll make it to the hideout by nightfall?"

Sabin shook his head. "Ed?" he prompted, turning to the machinist.

Edgar looked up, tilted his head in thought, then nodded. "It's possible." He stole a glance at his brother. "We can stop for a bit, I suppose."

Sabin gave a smile, clapping Edgar on the back. "Good! I was almost afraid you'd forgotten how to relax." Edgar rolled his eyes.

~/*\~

After only about fifteen minutes, Zack began to see some familiar scenery from when he first appeared in that world. The hills were getting steadily steeper, the land rockier and the trees taller. Sabin quickly found a small path that Zack recognized. It was the path that lead to the cabin.

Edgar had slightly dropped his listless expression, replacing it with slight curiosity. "So I finally get to see where you've been living..." he said with a smile.

"It's not much," replied Sabin, "But-"

"Get out." At the new voice, everybody was startled. It was firm and dripping with contempt.

The group looked ahead on the path, and spotted a tall man standing in the way- arms crossed and angry.

"Vargas?" Sabin called tentatively, confused.

Vargas had no qualms about responding. "You are no longer welcome here. I don't want you here anymore."

Sabin's eyes widened. "What? What are you talking about?"

Vargas dropped his arms, but rather than looking more relaxed, he looked ready for a fight. "You are NOT fit to be his successor! The position is MINE ALONE!"

Sabin took a step forward, as if approaching a potentially dangerous wild animal. "But that was his intention! You're his son! Of course Master Duncan-"

"DO NOT SPEAK THAT NAME! I have sent him away, and don't you think of following...or I'll kill you both!"

Sabin opened his mouth, then closed it. No words would come out. "Vargas! Are you insane? What have you done!" He finally found his voice again, and he was nearly shouting. He shook his head. "What happened to you? Maybe I should have seen this coming..."

"GET OUT!" repeated Vargas, putting his hands together. "I have far more potential than you, and you'll realize it when I wipe that dirty little smile off your face! BLIZZARD FIST!"

Sabin gasped, and tried to put up his arms as a shield, but it was too late. A rush of cold wind came at the party when Vargas extended his hands, and the force of it sent the four of them tumbling down the path they came from. Large rocks came loose and followed after them, and the chaos ended when they rolled to a stop at the entrance of the path- the rocks blocking the road they crashed down.

Sabin was on his feet immediately, rushing up to the blocked pass and pounding on it angrily. "VARGAS!" he screamed, taking a smaller rock and chucking it back in the direction of the house. Edgar ran up to him and put a hand on his shoulder, saying something to him the others couldn't hear. Finally, Sabin slumped his shoulders, leaning against the rocks and sliding down until he was sitting on the ground.

After a few minutes of silence, Terra approached him tentatively. "Was that...magic?" she asked shyly.

Sabin lifted his head from his hands to look at her. "No...that's different. That was a Blitz."

Zack took the opportunity to ask what he'd been meaning to for a while. "What exactly is a Blitz?"

Sabin got to his feet, brushing himself off a bit. "It's the focusing of spiritual energy, that when concentrated into a specific form, can be channeled into an attack or healing power. Master Duncan is the last to have complete mastery over these skills. I was lucky to learn from him."

"But what do we do now?" Terra broke in. "Shouldn't we keep moving?"

Edgar glanced at Sabin. Sabin nodded slowly. "Right you are, m'lady." he took a few steps forward, glancing back at the others. "Let's go."

~/*\~

The crowds of soldiers quickly parted as Kefka stormed through. He passed two young soldiers who were chatting happily. Kefka scowled. Nobody was allowed to be happy if he didn't say so. "GET BACK TO WORK!" He shrieked, clenching his fists.

The young men were startled, and Kefka smiled as he saw the fear appear on their faces. "W-we are working, General Kefka, sir! We're guarding the prisoner!"

Kefka's eyes narrowed. "What prisoner?"

The young soldier who had spoken up paled. "Uh...talk to General Leo about it, sir! He found him about two weeks ago! I don't k-know anything about it!"

Even though he wasn't in the way, the first Magitek Knight pushed the soldier roughly aside and stomped his way childishly to General Leo's tent. Leo was going over strategy when Kefka came in, pouring over a sketchy map of Doma castle. "I heard about your little prisoner, Leo!" sneered Kefka, making the un-magically-enhanced general look up. "Would you like to tell me about him?"

Leo sighed. "We came across him in the hills when marching to our present encampment. We're detaining him because he has been very evasive with his answers, and there are many Returner spies around now. But with our siege of Doma, I haven't had much time to deal with him, or get him to talk."

A devilish smile crept across Kefka's face. The pent up frustration inside him screamed to be let out. "How about I take a crack at him?"

General Leo pinched the bridge of his nose, as if warding off a headache. "As long as I come with you. I don't want you killing a possibly innocent man, after all."

~/*\~

It wasn't long before Edgar began scanning the cliffs and boulders around them for the entrance to the Returner's hideout. But something seemed wrong. The farther the group of four walked, and the darker it grew, Edgar just kept getting more frustrated. When the machinist began cursing under his breath, Zack decided it was time to step in. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

Edgar sighed before answering. "I'm afraid we may have taken a wrong turn."

Everybody groaned. "Like at the fork in the path a while back?" asked Terra slowly.

Edgar paled. "Fork in the path?"

"It's too late to go back now," said Zack, shaking his head.

Edgar looked about to protest, but Sabin stepped in. "We won't be able to find it in the dark. Have you ever even been there? You never said you have. And it's called a HIDEout for a reason, Ed."

Edgar slumped to the ground, dropping his royal bearing for the first time Zack had seen. "Let's hope the people of South Figaro are faring better."

"We have to have faith in them, brother." Sabin, not bothering to help set up camp, went over to sit next to his brother. "They'll be okay."

Edgar looked up at him, squaring his shoulders again. "I guess you're right..."

~/*\~

It took a while for all four of them to fall asleep. All had a lot on their minds. But this night it was Zack that was tossing and turning.

_Zack was walking through a maze of unfamiliar halls, searching desperately for something he couldn't put a name to. His heartbeat began to quicken, and his feet seemed to follow the rhythm- both contributing to the thunderous pounding in his ears._

_ The walls seemed to shrink around him as he ran, and a familiar scream assaulted his hearing. The pounding stopped suddenly, and he remembered what he was looking for. Cloud._

_ As if summoned by the thought, the blonde appeared in front of him. Zack called his name and rushed to his side. Cloud pushed him away. "Cloud! ...what?"_

_ Suddenly, every single scar given to Cloud by Hojo reopened, pouring bright red blood onto the floor of the maze. "YOU BETRAYED ME!" Cloud screamed, backing away._

_ Zack was horrified. "NO! Cloud, I didn't! I-"_

_ "Why aren't you looking for me?" Cloud began to fade away. "Why did you leave me alone?"_

_ Zack tried to grab his friend, but he had disappeared. At that moment, the scenery warped and changed until Zack found himself in the labs under Nibelheim again. Somehow, he could tell that Cloud was in the next room. He saw Hojo walk in, then he heard Cloud start screaming. _

_ Zack tried to run to him, but it felt like trying to run through thick molasses- he was getting nowhere. No. He was getting farther away. "CLOUD! NO!" Suddenly, Zack looked down to find himself waist-deep in a sickening mixture of blood and mako..._

~/*\~

Zack was struggling as Sabin shook him awake. As soon as awareness returned to him, he got to his knees and worked to control his breathing. He felt lightheaded and sick.

Looking around, he noticed that everybody was awake, staring anxiously at him in the grey of the pre-dawn hour. Zack got to his feet quickly. Thoughts rushed around in his head, ramming into each other and giving him a headache. Cloud needed him. Cloud needed him and he had done nothing about it. But these people needed him too. He wanted to help. But Cloud had nobody. "I'm leaving." The words popped out of his mouth, and everybody gasped.

"What?" exclaimed Sabin, moving to block him. He let Zack push past, but followed him a few steps. "At least tell us what's going on! You can't just leave like this!"

Zack whirled around. "And why not?" he snapped. "When we left for Figaro you said I could get help finding Cloud. We have done absolutely nothing for him so far."

Sabin bit his lip, not being able to find the words to say. So many things had come up since then, it was almost impossible to keep up. Why did all this have to happen? "This all started when you dropped into my training session!" he shouted, losing his temper. "Before that everything was FINE, and I was allowed in my own home! Everything about this situation is messed up. I wish you'd never dragged me out to Figaro."

Sabin's stomach dropped, however, when he heard a sharp intake of air from Edgar. He turned towards his brother. "I didn't mean..."

Edgar shook his head. "It's okay," he intoned, waving his hand dismissively. He faced Zack. "What I want to know is what you expect to do by yourself." Zack only looked at the ground. "You don't know where you are, and you wouldn't know where to go even if you did."

Zack shook his head. "I have to do something."

"Then come with us," Edgar tried again. "What happened in that dream?" he added, more gently.

"You have your own agenda," Zack replied, turning away.

"Where are you going to go?" The three men turned to Terra, who had spoken up for the first time. She had watched them from the edge of the campsite, clasping her hands together nervously. Her eyes, however, were now fixed on Zack's. She didn't bother to push back the lock of green hair that had fallen into her face.

Zack looked beyond them, up to the mountain's teeth where they bit into the sky, drawing the red of sunrise's light from the horizon. A breeze rippled through the landscape, and Zack closed his eyes, letting it comb through his hair as he breathed it in. "I don't know. ...I just want to go home. I want to find Cloud, I want him to wake up. I want to see Aerith, and my parents." He gave a bitter laugh. "It's been four years since I saw my girlfriend. I don't even know if she'll want to see me."

Terra walked up to him, biting her lip. "I don't want you to leave. Please. Don't leave."

Zack was taken aback at the sudden plea. "...What?"

Terra looked away. "I...only have seventeen days of memory. Out of that memory, I know only four people." She took a deep, shaky breath. "I don't want to lose any more of them."

Zack didn't know what to say to that. His gaze returned to the growing sunrise, and as he watched, a bird flew across the shadow of the sun; the orange light highlighting its large white wings. "Angeal," he whispered. "What do I do?"

* * *

><p>Wow...lots of stuff to talk about. Sorry if this seems rushed. I'm so excited for what happens later in the story that I want to get there as soon as possible...lol. What's definitely rushed is that scene with Vargas. I kind of just put that in there because I had to. ;P I hope I explained the Blitz thing okay. That'll be pretty cool for later.<p>

And Kefka found out about Cloud! I'm just a horrible person...I can't wait until Cloud is outta there...

And Zack might leave! Ahhh. A lot of stuff happening here. It may seem kind of random, but it was bound to happen... He just got caught up in this because of his natural need to help people... But yeah. That last bit was written while listening to Price of Freedom. That's why its so dramatic. :)

So...who's everyone's favorite character? I'm curious to know. Yes, even you silent readers. I want to hear from you too! My favorite for FFVI are Edgar and Shadow. And Terra. And Sabin. Like, in that order. Mostly. Then for FFVII it's Cloud, Zack, and Tifa. :)

Thanks- and Merry Christmas, readers! :D


	14. Eating My Heart Away

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Cloud sighed again as he tried to peer through the flaps of his pyramid-shaped world. The clown man was just outside, and he wanted nothing more than him to go away. Cloud's head was starting to hurt from that shrill voice.

Suddenly, the tent flap was lifted, and Cloud almost forgot his annoyance at the sight before him. The man's face was painted white, and a trail of ridiculous red and yellow robes trailed behind him as he entered the tent. 'Clown man' seemed painfully accurate, until Cloud caught sight of his eyes. They were cold and cruel, holding a cunning and hidden malice that sent shivers down Cloud's spine. He barely noticed Leo enter as well.

"Hello there," the painted man greeted with a smile that was much too wide- more carnivorous than comforting. Cloud glared up at him through the hair that had fallen into his face. The man kept the smile plastered on, and to Cloud's disgust, he reached over and brushed the hair out of Cloud's eyes, squealing with some private delight. "Oo hoo! You're definitely not normal, are you? Look at those eyes!" he cackled giddily. "Uwee hee! No need to be angry, I haven't even done anything to you...yet." He laughed at his own amusement. Cloud's eyes narrowed.

"Kefka..." warned Leo from across the tent.

As Kefka was facing away from Leo, Cloud was able to witness the brief flash of utter hate and anger that twisted the Magitek Knight's face. A few seconds passed before Kefka leaned in closer to the blond, grabbing his chin as he forced Cloud's head up. Cloud could feel the man's breathe in his ear as he whispered, "It's a pity, really. I would have loved to talk to you alone..." he pouted. "But instead we're stuck with a chaperone! Don't worry, next time...I'll get you alone." He laughed, making Cloud's ears ring, but Cloud could no longer hear what was going on. Flashes of memory crashed through his head. _Cold hands...maniacal laughter and restraints strapping him to a metal table... _Memories began to crash through his head, tumbling around..._Pain...so much pain...blood and mako..._

Cloud only realized he was starting to hyperventilate when Leo harshly called Kefka away from him, demanding to know what he had said to him. Cloud didn't care, as long as that man stayed away. Kefka nearly snarled at the non-enhanced general. "Am I your dog now, Leo?" he asked lowly, and the air suddenly seemed charged with electric energy. With a start, Cloud realized it was- little sparks of electricity leapt from Kefka's fingers.

But Leo just glared levelly at him, a stern expression on his face. "I think we're done here...I should have known you couldn't be civil."

Kefka huffed indignantly, but the energy in the room returned to normal. He appeared resigned, but there was a chilly wickedness in his eyes as he turned to wink at Cloud. He soon followed Leo, who was watching him closely, out of tent- leaving Cloud alone with only thoughts and broken memories.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Zack's eyes roamed from face to face- Terra's sad eyes, Edgar's calculating gaze, and Sabin's lowered head. He rubbed his temples with a lost sigh. "Could you at least give me time to think?" he asked finally.

Terra nodded resignedly, as if she had already accepted that he would leave. Edgar repeated the gesture as a consent, but said, "Try not to take too long, we need to get to the Returners as soon as possible...South Figaro..."

"I know, I know," answered Zack quickly. Sabin stayed silent.

~/*\~

Zack just kept walking, relying only on the steady beat of his footsteps to calm his rushing thoughts. One such thought told him he should be marking where he was going, but it was quickly drowned out. How would he benefit from leaving them? They didn't have time to stop and look for Cloud everywhere, that was for sure. But at least they knew where all the towns were. But wouldn't they be backtracking to help out South Figaro after this? But what could he really do on his own, without knowing where anything is? He could always find a town and buy a map somewhere- easy enough. A tiny rush of excitement went through him. That's it- he could just ask around- going from town to town. Then he felt a small pang of guilt. He'd be abandoning his new friends...but he really had only known them for little over two weeks, and they still had each other.

Zack let out a yell of frustration, kicking a nearby rock which careened into a cliff face, breaking into pieces. He saw Terra's desperate eyes staring back at him, pleading with him not to leave. He heard himself promise Cloud that he wouldn't leave him alone. He was going in circles.

His thoughts, however, stilled immediately when he heard a too-familiar sound- the cocking of a rifle. His awareness sharpened in a moment, and he cursed himself for not paying more attention. He turned to look behind him, and saw five young men, almost boys really, aiming their guns at him from the rocks above. "Don't move," one of them ordered sternly. Zack pressed his lips into a thin line. He could take them pretty easily... "What is your business? What are you doing in Returner territory?"

_Returners..._ These were the good guys. Zack hesitated, then answered. "I'm here with some of your buddies. You know Locke Cole, and the Figaros?"

At this, whispers broke out among the five men, and Zack waited as patiently as he could, fidgeting. Thanks to his enhancements, he could catch what was being said.

"Do you think he's a spy? I certainly don't see Locke or anyone with'im."

Another Returner's eyes widened. "Maybe he killed them!"

A third one snorted derisively. "Yeah, right."

A fourth man, seemingly the oldest of the group, interrupted the speculation. "Any way you slice it, we can't just let him go. We should take him to Banon."

At this, Zack tensed. This wasn't good. He reached for the Buster sword, and with a curse, realized he'd left it at the camp in his haste. He didn't want this to be messier than it had to be, and he didn't want to end up with a bullet wound. They had the high ground...

Suddenly, he saw two of the five troopers peel away and disappear into the foliage, their dusty brown camouflage helping them hide from view. They were going to surround him. Quickly, Zack began walking back the way he came, but he stopped when a warning shot was fired right at his feet. The bang echoed through the cliffs.

"Stop right there," shouted the oldest of the men. "Or I'll improve my aim."

Zack sighed as the Returners scrambled to approach him. He didn't want to start a fight, so he let them tie up his wrists. At least the others would be joining him soon. He could've laughed at the irony.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

After two days of the normal routine- young soldiers coming in twice a day to give him his meals- Cloud had begun to hope he'd seen the last of that Kefka. Later on he laughed at himself for thinking luck would be kind to him for once.

Cloud knew something was up when the soldiers missed his evening meal. He frowned deeply as his stomach protested. Sometimes the food came late, but it was already well past dark and nobody had come for him since morning. He shifted, uncomfortable, the ropes on his wrists chaffing painfully.

It was a still and silent night. The sounds of the usual bustle were subdued, but still Cloud pricked up his ears when he heard footsteps approaching his tent. He saw the shadow appear through the flaps in the moonlight, and held his breath, hoping it wasn't who it looked like. The flap was opened. It was who it looked like. The blonde let out a curse. Kefka smiled.

"Happy to see me?" he said sweetly, his eyes gleaming. "Because I'm happy to see you. That stupid Leo has been watching me lately." He leaned in closer to Cloud, as if sharing a secret. "I don't think he trusts me anymore. What a pity!"

"What do you want, Kefka?" Cloud muttered angrily.

"Aww...tired of my games already? I like games!" pouted the Magitek Knight. But suddenly his countenance changed drastically, and his eyes darkened, becoming cruel and sinister. "But if you really want, I can skip the formalities."

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Two hours of tense silence passed before Edgar rose decidedly to his feet. Sabin glanced at him, eyebrows slightly raised. "You don't intend to wait any longer?" It was more a statement than a question, and the machinist knew it.

"We need to move on. Thousands of lives are at stake here." He sighed deeply. "I'll miss his company, but he's either made his decision, or he hasn't. We can't wait around for him."

Terra bit her lip, even as her heart seemed to drop. Her eyes roamed to that sword that Zack had seemed to really care about. Would he really leave it behind? "What about his sword?" she found herself asking aloud. The twins turned to her.

Edgar considered it a moment before answering. "We'll take it with us. If he wants it, he knows where we're headed."

The three of them soon packed up the small camp, Sabin taking on the weight of the large sword. They found the right path again quickly, but this last march of the journey was so dramatically different. Terra hung back a bit, watching her two companions. Was it the absence of Zack's cheering chatter? It seemed that her small world was slowly breaking. First Locke had left, and now Zack. There was even a note of tension between the Figaro brothers, who unlike usual were silent as they walked. Terra suspected it stemmed from Sabin's outburst the night before.

After a while they came to the fork in the path where they had initially taken the wrong turn. They started down the last stretch in a silence no one dared to break. Would things have been different if they had taken this path in the first place? Terra shook her head. "It was bound to happen," she whispered to herself. She wished Locke was still there.

Around that time, Edgar's paced slowed significantly, and he began scanning the surrounding cliffs with care. Finally, his face lit up when he found what he was looking for. He only stole a quick glance at those behind him before hurrying up the rocky path using hands and feet. Terra and Sabin followed swiftly.

The entrance was hidden by rubble and brush, but the group could tell it was there by the commotion coming from the inside. Furrowing his brows at the lack of guard, Edgar pushed his way inside with the others at his heels.

Sabin wished he could have a snapshot of the first trooper's face. He jumped as his mouth worked in strange motions before forming words. "K-King Edgar!" He blinked for a moment. "Uh...this way, sir!"

As the Returner led them through the few rooms of the hideout, they took the time to look around. It was essentially a cave that had been decorated with a copious amount of supplies. Every man they passed stared at them, and whispers broke out among them.

At last they came through a final passage way, and before them stood Banon, leader of the Returners. But standing in front of the man was a more familiar figure, with a guard of five men standing around him... The three travelers gaped at the Ex-SOLDIER for a minute. Zack rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh..hi."

Edgar raised an eyebrow. "So would you care to explain?"

A nearby trooper laughed, saving Zack from a response. "So he was telling the truth after all!" he said. He turned to address the newcomers. "We found him making a ruckus near the hideout. We decided to take him in."

Zack snorted, but bit back whatever he's been about to say. He looked over the three companions, but Sabin wouldn't meet his eyes. He found a more warming, though slightly hesitant smile on Terra's face. He smiled back, until his eyes found the Buster Sword on Sabin's back. Wordlessly, the martial artist handed it back.

Banon brought further greeting to a halt, cutting in hastily. "King Edgar...is this the girl? The one they've been saying...can talk to Espers?"

"Espers?" Terra repeated quietly, testing the word in her mouth. It had a familiar taste.

Edgar nodded. "It would seem that she was completely under the Empire's control," he said, glancing at Terra carefully. Even so, she backed away subconsciously. "She doesn't remember what happened with the Esper in Narshe."

Banon shook his head, eyes still full of excitement, and wonder. "I've been told she burnt fifty of the Empire's best soldiers in a matter of minutes!"

Terra's eyes widened and she toppled a chair over in her haste to back away. "That's a lie!" she screamed uncharacteristically, as heads turned to stare at her. She looked as though she may burst into tears.

"Hey!" shouted Zack, looking between the Returner leader and the fragile young lady.

"Banon, she doesn't know ANYTHING," ground out Edgar sternly. Zack approached Terra, but she backed away. Zack glared daggers at Banon.

The Returner ignored all of them, only ordering, "Stay where you are!" as he made his way to Terra. "Have you ever heard of the story of Pandora's box?" he asked her, she shook her head- more from distress than denial. "One man released all the evil into the world- pride, greed, envy, control." He tried to grasp Terra by the shoulders, but Zack yanked him back. He kept on anyway. "But there was one thing left in that box- Hope. You are our last ray of hope, Terra!"

Terra sucked in a few quick breaths. "What...?"

"Banon!" warned Edgar, just as the man seemed to deflate.

"I'm just...so tired." He said suddenly. He backed away, and Zack let go of him. "Just...let me rest a while."

Terra just stood there staring after him, wondering what the heck had just happened.

~/*\~

The next morning, Terra awoke from nightmares- climbing from bed as quickly as possible. As she stood, lost, in the middle of her room, she felt a flash of anger burn through her. Coming here was supposed to help- but here she was, more disoriented than ever. This whole trip hadn't seemed to be for her benefit. But if not...Could she even trust these people anymore? Who else could she trust?

The anger died away, and suddenly she felt the burn of tears in her eyes. She rubbed them away quickly, sighed, and started down the stairs to the main area.

There she found Sabin sitting at a table alone, sipping what looked like tea and staring into space. She approached him carefully and softly. He noticed her presence, and looking up at her, gave her a quick smile. "Hi," he said, though it lacked his usual gusto.

She managed a small smile of her own, and denied his offer of tea, looking around slowly. "Where's Zack and Edgar?" she asked finally.

Sabin set down his tea with a thump, thinking. "Ed's in the room up ahead, and Zack's outside training."

The green-haired girl bit her lip, looking more than a little lost. As she started to walk away in no particular direction, Sabin called out to her. "Hey," he said, and she turned. "I...just want to tell you you can trust my brother implicitly. Ever since we were kids, he's always been fair with me."

Terra nodded slowly. "Then...you should talk to him," she found herself suggesting.

Sabin turned back to stare at his drink. "Yeah..."

When Terra finally walked away, Sabin had no idea how much what he'd said meant to her.

~/*\~

After wandering through the hideout for another few minutes, Terra found herself suffocating from all the weight heaped onto her by the Returners' comments. So when she recognized the door leading to the outside, she made use of it to breath the free air.

Instead of seeing Zack however, a totally different person had had the same idea as her. At the sight of Banon, Terra almost rushed back inside.

"Terra! Wait!" he called. She stopped. Something different was in his voice this time. "Terra...I'm sorry."

"What?" Terra faced the man squarely, her blue-green eyes questioning and guarded.

Banon explained himself. "Kind Edgar told me that if we forced you to join us...we'd be no different than the Empire. And he's right." Terra looked at her feet. "Terra...what do you say? Will you be our last ray of hope?"

Emotions and thoughts swirled around in Terra's head, confused feelings trying to find paths in the dark. But the more she thought, the more focused they became, until there could only be one clear answer.

Looking up, Terra met the leader of the Returner's eyes, and replied with one simple word. "Yes."

* * *

><p>Well, I'm back! And here's to another try at creating a normal update schedule...Let's shoot for every Thursday night. Because that's a day where I get to sit in my room all day and do absolutely nothing! :)<p>

So what did y'all think? A lot certainly happened in this chapter! I hope it didn't seem too wishy-washy. At least I had some Cloud. *shivers* dang...that Kefka is creepy. And disturbing. And sorry about the cliffhanger...actually, no, I'm not ;)

Oh! And good news everyone! Them getting Cloud back comes sooner than I thought! I got the plot of the game a little mixed up and though Phantom Forest was before the Imperial camp... :D

Oh, and for those of you who don't know FF6 very well...you may have been confused with the whole Esper thing near the end. I didn't include that at the beginning of the story, opting to just start when she wakes up. Just ask me if you have questions, or want to know about it. Or you could consult YouTube. ^_^

Next up: Returners discuss import an matters and make a plan...and things go down in the Doma Imperial camp...O_o

(p.s.- title of the chapter is a reference to the song 'Trouble' by Cat Stevens :) )


	15. When Hope Fails

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

After Terra had made her decision, she, Sabin, Edgar, Zack, Banon, and a number of older Returners had convened in the room they had first seen Banon for an official meeting. All sat fidgeting and talking amongst themselves as they waited for the head Returner to start the meeting.

Finally, Banon, now with sure and measured strides, marched to the head of the table. He stood there in his large robes, looking over each person until Edgar could wait no longer. "What action will you take regarding South Figaro?" he asked quickly. "They are in dire need of aid. The attack was not expected, I know, and they will have been hard pressed..."

Banon looked hard at him. "You wish us to take military action?" he said, then gestured around the room. "We ourselves do not have many men here. Two hundred at most."

Edgar shook his head. "Every soldier will count."

"What about the Magitek armor?" one of the Returners asked then. He looked uneasy and slightly agitated. Several other Returners nodded.

"What exactly _is_ Magitek? I was under the impression that magic is rare in this world," asked Zack.

Banon nodded solemnly. "It is. Most people you ask will tell you it doesn't exist, or that it's a fairytale. But we do not know how the Empire created it. That is the question I now pose."

"I had Locke look into that earlier, before he went to Narshe and found Terra," Edgar replied. "He reported that the Emperor was supposedly forcing all the world's finest scholars to study Espers..."

"And you said that all the trouble in Narshe was over a frozen Esper? The one that reacted to Terra?" Sabin spoke up, for the first time.

Terra cast her eyes down briefly, not remembering that incident that had taken place just before her awakening. When she looked up again, the others were all deep in thought. "So you're saying that there's some connection between Espers and Magitek?" she asked carefully.

"I can think of only one thing that would be linked with Espers and Magitek," said Banon with a grim dread.

Zack and Terra wondered when they saw the twins' eyes widen. "You don't mean...?!" stuttered Sabin, as Edgar's lips were drawn into a thin line.

"Yes." Banon closed his eyes briefly. Zack thought it created good dramatic effect as held his own breath like the rest. "The Ancient War of the Magi." In an instant a roar of exclamation, chatters, whispers, and pronouncements of horror filled the room.

"Could that old tragedy be playing out once again?" mused Edgar, leaning forward in his chair. "Both Humans and Espers were nearly wiped out of existence..."

Banon began to pace with his hands clasped behind his back. "There are frightening similarities. Back then, there are theories that it started when humans began using machines and other humans imbued with the power of Espers..."

Terra drew in a long breath. "That could explain Magitek power."

"But how do we fight them now?" cut in Edgar. "We can only fight Magitek enemies with Magitek weapons."

Banon shook his head. "Not necessarily. It's risky, but if we could have Terra...speak with that Esper, it might just wake up."

Edgar shifted in his seat. "Why?...I wonder if that's wise."

The head Returner shot him a look. "We need Terra's help regardless."

The king rose to his feet. "What we need is to get to South Figaro! People die while we sit here and talk."

"It is best for a small group of us, your party and myself included, to head to Narshe and-"

"South Figaro is a large military base. You don't realize that if the city falls, you lose a lot of allies! And it is straight path from that city to here..."

Terra looked back and forth as each man talked. She may not have understood everything that was happening, but as she listened, a certainty grew in her mind. "If you ask it of me," she broke in, "I'll do it! I'll speak to the Esper."

The room grew silent as they took it in, and Terra blushed and shifted under their scrutiny. Sabin was shaking his head.

Banon's gaze lingered on her the longest. "Very well," he said finally. "We'll head to Narshe as soon as we finish in South Figaro. We'll do what we can." Edgar nodded his approval.

~/*\~

A half hour later, Banon had prepared almost all of the Returners to leave. Sabin pushed his way through the crowds to one of the back rooms. There he found Edgar, who had replaced the civilian clothes he had been wearing with his normal blue attire and cape, complete with light armor.

"Hey," he called, and the machinist turned to look at him with a tight smile. They packed up in silence for a moment, preparing for the trip. Then Sabin spoke up again. "You're good at that, you know."

Edgar looked up at him, a slight frown on his face. "Good at what?"

Sabin gestured with his arms vaguely. "You know...politics. That sort of thing." Edgar was silent. "Look...I just want to talk about...er, apologize for-"

Suddenly, a crash sounded from near the entrance of the hideout, and a cacophony of yells and shouts rose into the air. The twins glanced at each other briefly before springing away to see the cause of the commotion.

They rounded the corner, nodding to Zack and Terra, who had arrived before them. A crowd of Returners now clustered around something, and as Banon pushed his way through, they saw what it was. Or rather, who.

A Figaran soldier stood before them, swaying on his feet even while supported by a young Returner. Horrible-looking gashes were displayed by the red tears of clothing. Sabin saw his brother's eyes darken.

"S-South...Figaro," the soldier gasped painfully. A chair was brought by another young man, and the Figaran was lowered into it slowly. "I-It h-has fallen, my lord." His eyes strayed to Edgar. "The Empire...is coming..t-this way.

"They've found us!" shouted Banon. "We must leave for Narshe instead. We haven't a moment to lose!"

In the chaos that followed, Zack saw Edgar sink into the chair behind him, his head in his hands.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Cloud didn't flinch when Kefka slapped him again. His cheek stung from the blow. There was power behind it that wasn't natural. The bright blue eyes of the blonde glared silently up at the Magitek Knight, who seethed and narrowed his eyes, jaw tightened as if holding back a screech.

"You stupid, stupid, STUPID boy!" he finally ground out, grabbing him by the neck. "They're something not...human about you, and I know it! You will talk to me!"

Cloud's anger grew as his breath was knocked out of him again by a kick to the ribs. Finally, he gasped out, "There is nothing I can say that will satisfy you. You're insane!"

A chill went down the blonde's spine as a slow, sadistic smile crept across Kefka's face. He laughed shrilly. "Uwee hee! So I am!" In the time it took to blink, the malice was back in full force. "But you WILL answer me! You will NOT DENY ME!"

Cloud held his breath as the glint of metal caught his eye, and Kefka drew a small dagger from the folds of his cloak. He pressed it first against Cloud's arm, holding it there with enough pressure for blood to well up around the blade. Kefka giggled giddily as Cloud winced, and a look of pure glee came over his face. "Ahaha! The smell of blood is sweeter than roses!" He pressed the cool blade to Cloud's neck. "How about I draw some more?"

Suddenly, all Cloud could feel was the touch of cutting metal against his skin as his mind was taken far away. He saw himself looking up at a single, weak bulb of light dangling over a metal table, restraints holding him down as a man in a white coat approached. He shook with glee, selecting a scalpel from a tray nearby. The man leaned over him then, and Cloud began to struggle desperately to get away. The pinched face, glasses low on the nose, greasy ponytail pulled back...Cloud's mind supplied the name. _Hojo. Hojo, Hojo, Hojo, Hojo... _Like a snowball rolled down a hill, each repetition of the vile name brought back a string of memories.

Cloud's struggles increased to the point where Kefka frowned and took a step back. The blonde didn't even seem to notice him anymore, tied limbs flailing wildly with eyes tightly closed. Finally, in a last surge of strength, Cloud jerked forward, bringing his arms close into his body. The ropes restraining him went taught then snapped, making the blonde lurch forward. The blonde glanced ever so quickly at Kefka, who stood there shocked, Cloud's eyes clearing slowly as he returned to the present.

Wasting no more time, the blonde stumbled out of the tent before the twisted man could react. Immediately, Kefka started screaming, letting Cloud make out some mangled words. "STOP HIM! THE PRISONER ESCAPED! STOOOP HIIM!"

One foot in front of the other, Cloud broke into an unsteady sprint- not bothering to watch as lights flickered into being around him, and soldiers shouting as they gave chase. _Am I that ahead already? ...How...Hojo. Experiments...mako and Jenova._

Cloud's breathing was ragged from the whole experience, and he ached all over from the beating he had received. He risked a glance behind him, and saw the soldiers were slowly giving up, slowing to a halt behind him.

He turned to face forward again, but he immediately collided with something solid. He slipped to his knees, gasping, and looked up into the sad expression of General Leo. He could only suck in breaths as he climbed to his feet. As he did, he heard the approach of footsteps behind him, and turned.

Kefka strode toward him, an eerily calm rage on his face. The Magitek Knight held out his hands to Cloud then, and the blonde watched as waves of energy raced toward him, washing over his body, weakening him..._A sleep spell!_

His body would no longer obey him, and he fell to the ground unmoving.

* * *

><p>Sooo...yeah. Heheh. Don't you just love cliffhangers? (don't kill me...) ;)<p>

So Yayy! I actually updated when I said I would! Let's see if I can make this a weekly thing...

Next chapter: some Locke point of view, and some Ultros craziness! (Guess what guys? Cloud will be joining the group in the next like, two chapters! Anyone excited? I know I am! ^_^)


	16. Twist and Turn

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Locke peeked around the corner of the street again, and cursed. More Magitek armor. The whole town had been taken the night after the attack, but Locke was at least thankful that the Figarans were smart enough to surrender before any civilians were killed. Except now...a major city of Figaro was under the Empire's thumb. How would this effect their resistance? Letting out a frustrated breath, the thief turned around and walked back the way he came. He really needed to head back to the hideout.

Stopping for a moment, Locke cast his eyes about for anything useful. His gaze landed on a nearby shop, and a grin spread across his face as an idea formed.

Striding in through the door, the Returner found only one customer present; all the Figarans had retreated to their own homes, so the only people there were the store clerk and a merchant. Another smile was called for. Merchants were neutral to the Empire...

Stepping up behind the merchant in line, Locke gave a wink to the Figaran clerk, who only raised his eyebrows a him. Locke tapped on the merchant's shoulder.

The purple-clad man whirled on Locke indignantly. "What are you doing out?" he snapped. Then a smug look crossed his face. "Unless you want to buy something..."

With one quick punch, the merchant was KO'd and on the floor. "Not the best sales pitch ever," remarked the store clerk, amused.

Locke laughed, and soon dragged the merchant away to the back room. A few minutes later he came back out, clad in the other man's purple garb. He looked over himself critically, then grinned with a wink. "A little tight, but the price was right!"

~/*\~

Disguised as a merchant, he only got past the first post of guards.

"This town is under martial law. Nobody allowed in or out," recited the Magitek armor operator solidly.

Locke cursed under his breath, not wanting to try his luck with the large machines. Again, he backtracked away from the city gate, looking around at the surrounding buildings. The merchant disguise had only gotten him so far. After a few minutes of watching, Locke saw his opportunity arise.

A young soldier was being relieved of his post, so Locke began to follow him back to the barracks. When they passed into a small road between two buildings, the thief took his chance.

Sneaking up silently as the wind, Locke began quickly closing the distance between himself and the Imperial soldier. All was working flawlessly until a number of coins slipped from the bag holding Locke's belongings, clattering on the stone path.

The soldier whirled around, startled, and Locke braced himself for the coming battle. "I'm not buying anything!" shouted the soldier, before sighing loudly.

Locke froze, unmoving for a moment before he smiled, remembering his appearance. He collected himself quickly. "That's a shame," he quipped good-humoredly. He took a few quick steps toward the unsuspecting soldier. Within a few minutes, Locke was clothed in the uniform of the Imperial soldiers.

Whistling cheerfully, Locke began to make his way back to the city gate. Before he got there, however, he heard a group of men coming up behind him. Even as he told himself to stay calm, something in his gut instinct told him to get out of sight. Ducking into an alleyway, the thief watched for the approaching group.

Within a minute, he saw four soldiers talking with a somewhat familiar figure. _It's the merchant I stole from-_ Locke realized, and he was immediately happy with his decision to hide.

The man was obviously irate, and was ranting every detail of their encounter to the Imperial soldiers. Locke frowned. This would make things more difficult...

Another soldier passed them down the road, and Locke could just hear what was said.

"Hey," called out the man in charge of the group. "We very well may have a spy on our hands."

The newcomer's eyes widened. "What do we do, sir?"

"Lock down every street, and put extra guards by the gate. Nobody, not even our own soldiers, will be allowed through until this man is caught." The new soldier nodded and ran off to deliver the news.

Locke bit his lip. This definitely made things harder. How would he find another way out?

Stepping out into the street again, Locke started off on another road, fishing for ideas as he went. Spotting a gaggle of more Imperial soldiers, Locke inconspicuously joined the crowd.

"Did you hear about General Celes?" one whispered conspiratorially.

"The terror of Maranda?" one mused derisively.

Another soldier shushed him. "Hey, don't make fun of a tragedy. That ain't right..."

A fourth got right to the point. "What about'er?"

The first soldier leaned in, lowering his voice. The others followed his lead, Locke playing along as well. "It won't be a secret for long," he said. "But I heard she's been locked up. A traitor."

Whispers broke out among the men, but nothing useful was being discussed. So Locke bowed out and continued searching.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Cloud blinked his eyes open slowly before awareness hit him and he sat upright in a flash. Right away, he noticed the new weight on his arms and legs, and the harsh clanking of metal against metal. Looking down from the familiar burlap surroundings, he saw the heavy chains entrapping his wrists and ankles; stakes driven deep into the ground. He pulled on them experimentally, and twin shots of pain traveled up and down his arms.

The blonde gasped and dropped his arms again, bringing one hand up to examine the shackle. Not being able to see anything out of the ordinary, he tried to bring his other hand to fiddle with it, but the chains' length wouldn't let him reach.

"You like your new accommodations?" came an unmistakeable voice. Cloud scowled angrily at the sound. "The spiked shackles were a special addition of mine. With the strength you were kind enough to show us earlier, I didn't want you pulling those stakes from the ground." The man himself entered then, smiling sweetly. "Funny that you're now chained like an animal," he quipped lightly. "Because I'm sure now that you aren't human." He leaned in closer and lowered his voice, and began circling Cloud like a vulture. "But...what are you?" he giggled, and clapped his hands. "Hooho! This will be so fun, this game of ours!"

A welcome interruption came in the form of General Leo. The man lifted the tent flap and entered, eyeing Kefka with a warning glance before stepping up in front of Cloud. "In light of recent events," he said gruffly, "We've deemed it wise to detain you until further information can be found." Here Leo paused, and considered Cloud a moment before shaking his head. "If you'd like, you could just simple tell us what we wish to know. Then we could let you go on your way."

"Only if I _can_ tell you what you wish to know," said Cloud, glowering at the generals before him.

General Leo stepped forward again, and Cloud was struck by the sincerity in his face. "If you truly tell us all you know, it will be what I wish."

To the side, Kefka watched this exchange with malicious amusement. When silence fell, the painted man strode once more into the spotlight. He smirked at Cloud and gave a small chuckle, to a private joke only his twisted mind knew. "Yes, yes, you can tell Leo there," he said, waving his hand dismissively before sharpening his gaze to a frightening intensity. "But if you don't..." -he laughed shrill and high- "You'll have to talk to me."

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

In spite of the hideout becoming a scene of utter chaos, Zack at least gave them the fact that they could certainly clear out fast. As the preparations to leave had already almost been finished, the restless Returners were again gathered around Banon to await further instruction.

"Listen! Listen, everybody!" shouted the leader, and all eyes turned to him, the chatter ceasing to be replaced by a tense and anxious silence. "Do not travel all together, or in large groups! The Empire will be swarming the area and we do NOT want any casualties. You will be overpowered, so it is best to remain hidden unless the need arises. Scatter, and make for Narshe. It is there that we will regroup."

"What about you, sir?" ventured a young Returner, who looked like he could not be older than sixteen.

"As for myself and the new arrivals," Banon began, gesturing to the twins, Terra, and Zack, "we will make our way down the Lete river." He gauged his soldiers for a moment with a critical eye, then turned away. "Now go! The enemy is almost upon us!"

As the troops made off, the newly instated Returners, and Edgar, who was already a Returner, followed Banon through the tunnels of the hideout all the way to the back and out a hidden exit. They came out on a ledge overlooking a swift-moving river, surrounded on all sides by the scraggly rocks of the mountains. The echoes of the mumbling water babbled in the small valley.

Almost all of the group except Banon glanced suspiciously down at the wood raft waiting below them. "Are...you sure this is safe, Banon?" asked Edgar with a raised brow. Terra bit her lip uncertainly.

The head Returner's face was set grimly. "We have no other choice."

Zack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, nothing to it then..."

Sabin nodded, before jumping down onto the raft. Zack was quick to follow. The rest of the party, driven only by the sense of urgency, made their way more carefully. Soon all were aboard their small boat to Narshe.

~/*\~

It was only a few minutes later, and everyone was already soaked to the bone. There was no time to think of this, however, as Zack and Sabin tried to steer the collection of chopped trees while Banon, Edgar, and Terra clung to the raft for dear life.

Zack cursed as the raft bobbed through another rapid. Blinding, cold sprays of river water sprang into the air from seemingly every direction. "Tell me why this was necessary again?" yelled Zack over the roar of water.

Sabin only shook his head, turning his attention back to the current task. "I have no idea," he yelled back.

"Remind me to push Banon in when we're done saving everyone's butts," Zack retorted, rolling his eyes when he heard the martial artist laugh.

Only a minute or two later, the raft finally cleared the rapids and began to drift on smoother waters. Almost immediately, however, the craft came to a very sudden stop.

All five passengers gave a cry as they scrambled for a grip, almost thrown into the river by the momentum. Zack grabbed Terra's wrist just in time to pull her legs up out of the water and back onto the raft.

"What WAS that?" shouted Sabin, voicing everyone's thoughts. The five of the them all crawled to the water's edge and peered over, searched for a sign of anything that could tell them what halted their journey.

Unfortunately, the cause found them instead.

"Don't tease the octopus, kids!" came a voice, causing everyone to spring to their feet and whirl around.

And everyone just stared. "...What the freaking heck..." Zack's vocalization more or less expressed the feelings of the whole group.

Right in front of the blocked raft, where the wake of the water gathered around the unmoving object, was a giant, ugly, purple octopus.

Terra swallowed loudly. "Umm...is this normal?"

"Not as far as I'm con- Hey!" Zack exclaimed, throwing himself to the side to avoid the strike of a large tentacle. The raft shuddered dangerously, causing everyone to gasp and catch their balance. They quickly drew their weapons.

"Did it talk?" ventured Edgar carefully.

The monster before them appeared indignant. "I am not an IT! Prepare to feel the wrath of Ultros the great and powerful!"

Before anyone could react, multiple tentacles shot out at once, grabbing for the Returners. Dodging to the side, Zack brought the Buster sword down to strike one of the appendages, and the octopus creamed in protest, drawing the limb back in pain.

On the other side of the raft, Edgar and Sabin found themselves back to back. The martial artist raked the tentacle wrapping around them with his spiked claws, while Edgar shot his many shafts of metal arrows at Ultros' head. Unlike most monsters, Ultros whined like a beaten dog... or small child.

"Where's Terra and Banon?" cried Edgar, concerned about their fighting abilities.

"Here!" came the head Returner's voice. He was standing in front of Terra and beating the tentacles off with a staff. As Sabin rushed off to his aid, Edgar turned to face the octopus, striding closer as he pressed down the trigger of his Tools, feeling the familiar purr of machinery as his creation changed. Now at he edge of the raft, Edgar activated the new weapon, and a brilliant flash of light rent through the air, directed at the attacker.

Ultros shrieked and curled his tentacles up like a dying spider. But he was only temporarily disabled. Taking advantage of the given opportunity, Zack felt the familiar pop and rush as he channeled a limit break. Leaping into the air, he heard Cloud's voice in his head as he rained down a hail of meteors on the giant octopus.

Water was sprayed everywhere as Ultros disappeared under the water again. But still the raft did not move.

"Well, glad that's over," remarked Zack. "A talking octopus is always a strange experience."

"What did you just do?!" exclaimed Edgar, ignoring Zack's quip.

Zack raised a brow. "What? Bummed that I took your shot?"

Terra's next words explained the machinist's surprise, however. "Was that...magic?" she asked uncertainly.

"Uhhh..." drawled Zack eloquently as he tried to think of the best way to explain limit breaks.

They were interrupted, however, when Terra suddenly shrieked. Everyone rushed over to her. "Something's got my leg!" she cried.

Sabin caught her as she began getting pulled into the river. Zack saw the problem in the form of a purple tentacle latched onto Terra's ankle. One quick swing of the Buster solved that problem.

Angry now, Sabin, marched towards the edge of the raft, dropping into a fighting stance. "Outta my way, I'm gonna finish it with a Blitz!" he yelled, preparing to jump.

Eyes widening, Edgar rushed to grip his brother's arm. "No! Sabin!"

This did nothing to hinder the angry twin, and his arm was wrenched from Edgar's grip as he leapt into the river, making the machinist curse. "Always so zealous."

From down below they saw a flash of light, like what they saw when Vargas had used a Blitz on them before. A few agonizing seconds passed before Sabin rocketed up out of the water, landing on the river with a loud smack several yards downstream. "Sabin!" cried the king, as Banon grabbed his arm to keep him from jumping himself.

"What is going on?" yelled Terra at the same time.

Seeing the fork in the river ahead, Zack did the only thing that made sense to him at the time. Taking a deep breath, the ex-SOLDIER dove into the water after his friend.

* * *

><p>Man...I'm so mean to Cloud. . At least we get him back soon.<p>

I hope the Ultros part was okay, too. I don't have a whole lot of experience writing deranged giant octopus characters...lol. And I know the Sabin thing at the end was kinda random, but hey, I'm too tired to deviate from the original plot. :P Heh

Next up: An unexpected companion is gained, and a new party member is introduced! :)


	17. Questioning

_ Irish Brigid- Ultros is a summon is Dissidia?! LOL! I need to get that game! And yeah...FF changes a lot of things that ain't natural! ;P _

_ findthetiger129- haha yes they were definitely surprised. That will be a fun scene when things settle down. :)_

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Zack couldn't tell up from down. The river bore down on him angrily, filling his nose and mouth with water and bashing him on the rapid's stone obstacles. Blindly, he put out his arms to try and defend himself, or at least his head. His side collided with another rock, knocking what little breath he had left out of his body. As a last ditch effort, he stretched his legs in a direction that felt like downwards, until he felt the river's bottom. Smiling inwardly at this small victory, Zack pushed up with the remains of his strength.

When his head broke the surface, he sucked in air greedily, trying to get his bearings through the sprays and splashes of the strong current. Looking to the banks ahead, he glimpsed a flash of blue. Apparently the river had already spit Sabin back out. Or perhaps he swam out himself.

Either way, Zack coerced his limbs into propelling him in that direction, using his arms as a buffer to the oncoming rocks, pushing off them while feeling like a pinball in a pinball machine.

It felt like an eternity had passed before he dragged himself out of the water, flopping down onto his back on the first patch of dry land.

Once he was able to pay attention, however, he heard a series of harsh coughs ring out from a few yards away. Turning his head, he gave his friend a sloppy wave. "How about you think next time you decide to jump off a raft into a raging river?" he called out loudly.

"...Says the man who jumped off a raft into a raging river..."

Zack turned his head back to stare at the clouds lazily drifting through the sky. A grin tugged at his face. "Point taken." He listened as the martial artist struggled to his feet, waiting a moment before following his example.

The two looked around helplessly for a few seconds before Sabin ventured, "Sooo...what now?"

Zack shrugged. "This is your world. What's the quickest way to Narshe from here?"

Sabin snorted. "My guess is as good as yours at this point. I don't even know where we, are exactly."

Zack, however, did not catch the last part of the sentence. He was staring off in a more inland direction, shielding his eyes from the sun. "...is that a house?" he asked finally.

Sabin's eyebrows rose on his face. "In the middle of nowhere?"

Zack shrugged his shoulders. "Might as well check it out."

~/*\~

The tiny house was sheltered by a scattering of trees, so Sabin and Zack didn't get a good view of the area until they came around to the front. There was a small garden by the door that didn't look very well kept, and a well by the start of the tree-line. There were only two people to be seen. A uniformed man dressed in green rode a pale chocobo towards the well, where a figure was leaning down to let his canine companion lapp up the water in the well's bucket.

"Are you the owner of this property?" asked the rider disinterestedly. "You've got some mail."

The figure straightened smoothly, fixing the mailman with a menacing glare. "No," was the simple, gruff response.

Zack, however, hardly noticed when the mailman gulped nervously and proceeded to the mailbox before leaving. His mouth hung open in shock. "You're that assassin guy from South Figaro!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"No!" countered Sabin, even as he got a better look at the shrouded man before them. "...It is!"

Even under the shadow of the black-clad assassin's mask, they could see his eyes narrow. They were surprised to hear him answer instead of trying to kill them. "And you're the ones who wouldn't let me enjoy a quiet drink."

Zack sighed and scratched the back of his neck. This wasn't going well. "Look," he said. "We're just trying to get to Narshe."

"We were separated from my brother, and some others," added Sabin.

There was a long moment of silence before an answer came. "The Imperial soldiers have built a base somewhere beyond the forest."

"Already?!" Sabin shouted, earning a suspicious glare from Shadow. He tried to explain himself. "They've just taken South Figaro."

The assassin only gave the slightest of nods in response. "They seem to have their sights set on Doma castle."

"So Doma's next, huh?" sighed Sabin ruefully. He turned to look at Zack. A note of urgency entered his voice. "We have to tell the others as soon as possible!"

"Except we don't know how to get to them," Zack pointed out as a reminder. The two of them then glanced at Shadow, who watched this whole exchange with mild disinterest. Other than that, his expression was unreadable. Probably due in part to whatever he did to dye his face and eyes. A long moment passed before Zack sighed. It would seem they would have to ply every word out of this man. "We'd appreciate anything more you can tell us."

The shrouded man turned his back, beginning to walk away. His dog padded after him. Zack and Sabin waited. A full minute passed before the ninja spoke, making the two companions think that he would just walk away and leave them there without a word. What did happen, however, shocked both of them, and perhaps even the assassin himself. "The only way to Narshe is through Doma, and the Imperial camp. ...I'll show you the way."

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Locke sighed frustratedly, turning back again after coming face-to-face with another Imperial blockade. They were closing the perimeter now, and if he didn't do something, it wouldn't be be much longer until they found him. So he kept up a brisk walk, and a sharp lookout, noting with a hint of trepidation that a group of the soldiers in the blockade broke off and began walking in his direction.

As he passed a particularly expensive-looking house, he heard a squad of soldiers approaching from up ahead, effectively trapping him between them. Cursing under his breath, he looked beside him at the large house's doorway. "Nothing for it," he muttered, making his way over.

With the practiced ease of something done many times before, the thief picked the house's lock in a matter of seconds, slipping in and closing the door behind him quickly. Barely stopping to glance around, he scurried into the next unoccupied room before anyone could come into the foyer. _Just in time,_ he realized with a grin when he heard the same door open again, announcing someone else's arrival.

Risking a glance through the doorway of the dining room he was in, he was shocked to see it was the same Imperial soldiers he had been trying to evade. He was so sure he hadn't been seen...

But no, they were standing there and talking as if they owned the place! "..." A sinking feeling entered Locke's gut. Had he just walked into their base...?

There was no time to ponder the fact, however. When more soldiers entered, chatting happily, Locke began to cast his eyes around for another exit from the room he was in.

Spotting a hallway, he checked it carefully before hurrying down it to the the stairs on the other side. The stairs brought him into another hallway, that branched into what Locke guessed were bedrooms. Feeling vulnerable out in the open, he slunk to the end of the hall, checking the door crack of the last room for any sign that someone might be in there. The choice to go in was made for him when a woman came out of a room by the top of the stairs.

The new room, thankfully, was unoccupied. And dark, though he dared not flip on the light switch. He poked around slowly and carefully, checking the windows to see if he could escape by that route. It was a second-story straight drop. No such luck.

Sighing as loud as he dared, Locke leaned up against the wall by one of the large bookshelves, crossing his arms. His cunning mind flipped through various scenarios and escape plans.

It was a few seconds later that he felt it- a light draft, cold and musty. He glanced up confusedly, looking around. The windows were all closed. "...What?"

As soon as he stepped away from the bookshelf, however, the draft could no longer be felt. Experimentally, he slid back towards it. The circulating air again licked at his skin. "...Huh." Leaning down to pick up one of the few books on the floor under the bookshelf, he smiled widely at it with a chuckle. "Gotcha."

Dropping the book to give the shelf a few hard pushes, it moved away to reveal a hidden passage. He grinned at his good fortune, not hesitating as he skipped down into the musty basement.

~/*\~

The passage turned out to be a veritable maze of stone and wooden rafters. Locke was soon frustrated again as he made he way out of another dead end. At least there was treasure. He smiled at the thought.

Coming out into a new hallway, Locke froze when he heard voices, then relaxed when he realized they were coming from one of the closed rooms. Sneaking up as quietly as possible, he pressed his ear against the door and listened in, wincing when he heard the unmistakable sound of a few good punches hitting their mark.

"This is what happens to traitors!" came a voice, followed by another smack. He could almost hear the smirk in the man's voice. "See how the mighty Celes has fallen!"

"Celes?..." Locke muttered, almost forgetting where he was. "The Empire's General Celes?"

Then he had to strain his ears again to catch a quieter, female voice- that, though weak, still carried a strength and pride in its tone. "How can you serve those cowards?"

The soldier again. "Hold your tongue!" Locke could only assume that was followed by another hit, considering the derisive chuckle that followed.

"Isn't it true...Kefka's going to poison the people of Doma to the east?"

There was real anger in the soldier's voice this time. "Shut up!" he snarled. A pause followed, and Locke pressed his ear harder against the door, listening intently. "I'd hate to be you come tomorrow," the soldier said finally, before addressing another soldier who had not yet spoken. "Can I trust you to keep an eye on her?" He asked sternly.

"Yes, sir!" the second soldier replied confidently. "I can go for days without sleeping!"

Footsteps approached the door from inside, prompting Locke to duck for cover among the nearby crates. He waited for the soldier to walk by before entered the room. He snorted to find the second soldier already asleep.

When he directed his gaze to the other side of the room, however, he was met by the sight of General Celes, last of the two Magitek Knights. And somehow, taking in her beaten but proud appearance, he found himself unchaining her.

Without the additional support, she fell to the ground in a heap, but not before Locke caught her on reflex.

Pale blonde hair falling strands over her face, ice blue eyes stared up at Locke coldly. "What are you doing back here? Come for more?"

With a start, Locke realized he was still dressed as an Imperial soldier. Releasing his hold on Celes carefully, he pulled off the helmet- floppy light brown hair kept at bay with a bandanna coming free. "I'm a Returner," he said, surprising himself with his gentle tone. "...How about you come with me?"

The woman stared up at him a moment more before hanging her head. "I used to be General Celes of the Empire, second and last of the Magitek Knights... Now I'm just a common traitor."

A sloppy grim spread across Locke's face before he could stop it. "All the more reason to come with me," he said, holding out his hand. Their eyes met again, ice blue on stormy gray. Slowly, uncertainly, Celes stretched out hers.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

"Well?" there was a smile in Kefka's voice. Almost as if he wanted Cloud not to answer General Leo. Because he wanted Cloud alone.

Cloud honestly tried to think of an answer to the questions. What was he doing here? Why was he here? These were questions that Cloud wanted to know the answers to himself. But even if he did, he was not sure he'd tell these men.

His memories were addled. His brain would not supply any information later than some random point in Hojo's lab. And Cloud certainly didn't want to let his thoughts dwell there too long. The biggest question looming above his head, however, was the whereabouts of Zack. There were flashes of memory, mere images, that came to mind at the thought. Random moments on the run. Because, well, they had obviously escaped. Cloud came to the conclusion easily by looking around. But Cloud was worried.

Cloud heard Kefka sigh dramatically. He lifted his gaze to see Kefka pacing. He soon stopped to look Cloud in the eye. "At least tell me this..." he chirped casually, before moving faster than Leo could follow, closing in on Cloud. When next he spoke, Cloud could feel the clown's breath in his ear. "What do you know about...Espers?"

Angrily, Leo pulled Kefka back by his voluminous robes. Kefka choose to ignore him, instead keeping his gaze leveled on Cloud. A shudder passed through the blonde, who then stared back venomously. "Or...are you one yourself?" mused the first Magitek Knight, as if forgetting the presence of other human beings.

"...What?" the question took Cloud off guard.

Kefka only laughed maniacally before waving him off. "Ponder the thought," he said, leaving the tent with a skip. Leo soon followed, shaking his head.

Alone for now, Cloud looked down again at his chains, clenching his teeth as he tried to find a way to take away the searing pain of the dozens of small spikes digging into his wrists via the shackles. After a minute, he realized he wouldn't be sleeping that night.

* * *

><p>Phew...well guys, I'm finally back! :D My internet was out for like, ever. :P So sorry about missing a week. :(<p>

What do you guys think of my Celes scene? ^_^ That was a great one to write. I wanna hear from some FFVI players, if you're out there! :) (and what do you think of Shadow too?)

Next chapter: IMPERIAL BASE! :D :D Hehehe


	18. Set in Motion

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Soft rays of sunlight filtered in through the tent flaps as Cloud cracked open his weary eyes. Sounds began to assault his ears, waking the beast that was the deep ache residing in every part of his body. Grimacing, Cloud slowly brought himself into a more upright position on the damp ground.

"Move it, maggots!" The blonde could distinctly hear an unknown commander shouting orders to the faceless commotion outside. "The Domans won't be as namby-pamby as you!"

As the camp steadily began to clear to the beat of marching feet, a feeling of dread stirred in Cloud's gut. This was definitely not a good thing.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

"Okay, so can I ask what happened back there?"

Zack gave Sabin a curious look. "What?"

The monk returned the look incredulously, then began waving his arms in an attempt to demonstrate his meaning. "What do you mean, 'what?'! That...thing! That move you pulled off on Purple-and-Ugly!"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck with an nervous chuckle. "Well...it's not that weird in my world. See, it's this thing that happens when someone...gets knocked around enough...and you sort of, well, channel the energy you have into a special attack called a Limit Break." He narrowed an eye and glanced at his friend. "...though you actually aren't as weirded out by it as I thought you'd be."

Sabin just laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "I've seen my share of weird things. Remember what Vargas did to blow us off the mountain? That was a Blitz, as you know. I can do a few such things that would weird people out too." He laughed again, as if a sudden thought had amused him. "I think you'll have more trouble explaining it to my brother, though. He has a mind full of machines. Remember how he reacted to Terra's magic?"

Instead of laughing, Zack gave a slight frown. "You know, it's not that out of the norm to use magic. At least where I'm from. I've even used it before, through materia."

Sabin's eyes widened as he stared at him. There was a thick silence before he spoke again. "But- but not naturally, right?"

Zack nodded, keeping his eyes on the path that they were carving ahead through a field surrounded by forest. Shadow and his dog still marched on silently before them. "My girlfriend I told you about, though- Aerith- she can use it naturally, sort of. She's a really special person." The ex-SOLDIER's voice took on a wistful, distant tone.

A minute or two passed in silence, before Sabin broke it with a smile. "You know, I should show you a Blitz or two sometime. We could spar or something." The monk gave Zack a hearty pat on the back. "I'd like to try my skills against someone with super-strength."

Zack laughed and crossed his arms. "That would be pretty interesting." His eyes roamed around in search of a new line of conversation. "Hey," he called ahead to the shrouded man. "You got any special skills to brag about?"

No answer was forthcoming, however, until the ninja stopped quite suddenly, giving a sharp hiss as a demand for silence.

"Well hey, that's rude," retorted Sabin. He immediately quieted though, when he heard the low growls coming from Shadow's doberman. The dog was glaring into the trees to the side, and everyone followed the canine's line of sight. Vague shapes moved in the shadows.

"Looks like we're in for a fight," Zack commented, heaving the Buster Sword from his back.

Sabin slipped a pair of clawed gloves onto his hands, dropping into a ready fighting stance with a smile. "Finally, some excitement!"

Shadow just stood calmly to the side, his hand resting on some concealed weapon.

Barely a second later, a pack of ten Lobos rushed them from the trees. The doberman immediately returned the charge, snarling fiercely. Zack was not far behind. Even as Shadow's dog and the foremost lobo tangled into a snapping, growling brawl, Zack sprinted towards the second adversary, felling it with one upward swoop of his blade. Turning to the next, he was surprised to see it and the creature behind it drop dead, each with a shuriken protruding from its neck. Zack turned to the assassin, and gave him a tumbs up as he joined the fray, daggers slashing at two of their enemies. They fell quickly under his assault.

Hearing another snarl behind him, Zack turned in time to block the jaws of the fifth lobo. The swing of his sword sent the creature flying into one of its companions, and they crashed to the ground with a loud yelp.

Stepping back to assess the battle, Zack saw that there were now only three of the creatures left. Shadow had stepped back as well, and was hurling the four-pointed stars with deadly accuracy.

Suddenly, however, there was a flash of light like the one Zack had seen when Sabin had leapt into the water to finish Ultros. Gaze snapping to the martial artist behind him, he saw the blonde man whispering to himself in intense concentration. Hardly a second later, he felt the temperature rising, then watched as fiery reflections of Sabin stormed the battlefield. The three remaining lobos let out an unearthly shriek as they perished in the flames. Zack blinked in surprise. If Shadow was shocked, he didn't show it.

"So that's why you weren't surprised about the Limit Break thing."

Sabin laughed heartily, his hands on his hips. "Just thought I'd show you what a REAL Blitz is! I call that one 'Rising Phoenix."

"We need to move on." The two turned to look at Shadow. The clipped and cool reproach could have come from no one else.

"As you say, Your Highness," replied Sabin with a smile and a shrug.

Zack bit back his laugh when the assassin moved with lightening speed to press a dagger against the monk's neck. Out of reflex, Sabin wriggled free and into a fighting stance, but Shadow had finished his threat. "I could just leave you in this wilderness. I can leave whenever I feel like it."

"Hey!" Zack shouted, furrowing his brows. "If you're going to treat us to death threats every step of the way, I'm willing to find my own path."

The two men stared each other off for a few tense moments, bright mako-eyes against foggy blue, empty and devoid of feeling. Finally, the assassin turned on his heel and strode off in the direction they had been heading before.

Sabin crossed his arms. "Do we follow him?"

Zack sighed. "I think that's the only thing we can do at the moment.

* * *

><p><em>Alright, so more tension with Shadow, and the attack on Doma castle begins!<em>

_Sorry about the wait, guys- after I missed my Thursday update time, I fully intended to update on Friday night. But honestly, everything I was writing was so crappy that I couldn't come up with anything until today that I could post with little shame.. So yeah. I apologize...:P_

_And I think, in my excitement, I got a liiittle ahead of myself...they don't quite get to the Imperial camp yet. Because I kind of realized that it would take at least a few days to get there... :P At least you got to see one of Sabin's Blitzes! The one I use the most, by the way. ^_^_

_Clooouud! I can't wait to get you baaack...I want to actually write interaction between you and other people..._

_Lol I dont think I'll do any more "coming up next" things here...I'm not very good at predicting those, it seems!_

_*virtual/imaginary cookies and hot chocolate to anyone who reviews! ;)*_


	19. Fire Melting Ice

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Celes Chere stood silently just outside the edge of their campsite, staring at the constellations above. The glow of the fire lapped at the edges of her cape as if trying to lure her to its warmth.

Locke glanced at her from the spot by his bedroll, amusement lighting up his eyes. "Want to come sit down? Or are you afraid you'll melt?"

The former general scoffed, but turned around. "I think it's my business whether I sit or stand."

Locke shrugged, but said nothing more for a moment. "Well, have it your way then." For a few minutes he let the silence drag on longer, munching on a piece of dried meat so he could have his mouth occupied with something other than speech.

"Why did you save me?" The short, quick question was sudden but not completely surprising.

Locke swiveled around so he was facing her from where he sat. Celes was looking him in the eye with a stern and suspicious countenance that seemed to hold a hint of curiosity as well. "Umm...well," he muttered, fishing for the right words. "You...remind me of someone." Celes raised an eyebrow at him. "Look, I just wanted to, okay?"

Celes sighed and moved to the other side of the campfire, and sat still at a distance from the flames. "Alright then."

~/*\~

The next morning the sun peeked over the horizon with bright eyes, sending golden-orange rays of light skipping across the landscape and highlighting the waves of grass on the field where Locke and Celes slept. The former general rose at the touch of dawn, gathering their things quietly and quickly. Once finished, she turned around to face Locke, who was just beginning to stir into wakefulness.

"Good," Celes spoke in her clipped, precise manner as her traveling companion opened his eyes. "I was just about to wake you. We will reach the South Figaro caves today. I assume you know the way through?"

"What? Yeah," Locke climbed sleepily to his feet, noticing with surprise that Celes had really packed everything. They were ready to go. "We came through there on our way down here." He chuckled. "And now I'm going right back up, all the way to Narshe!"

Celes nodded and handed him his pack. "Why are you so sure the Returners will be there, and not at the hideout?"

Locke took the bag and slung it over his shoulder, setting off in the direction of the mountains. "The Imperials will have found the them there already. Narshe is the best bet."

The former general seemed to accept this, and they walked without words for awhile, Locke whistling and looking about at the beauty of nature, Celes with her head down, lost in her own thoughts. _Not like I have anywhere else to go._

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

When night fell on the forests south of Doma, the three travelers made a fire and settled around it- Zack and Sabin on one side, Shadow and his dog on the other. The doberman was now lying contentedly curled against Shadow's side. The assassin himself was staring into the fire, fingers absently stroking the large animal's dark fur. Taking this in from across the small campsite, it seemed to Zack that this was the most _human_ the ninja had appeared before.

A few feet away, Sabin was rummaging through the packs in search of dinner. Some 'hmmm'ing sounds came from that direction before Sabin exclaimed, "Let's see- old bread, brown apples, and some sort of unidentified cake. Dried meat again it is!"

"Oh good," remarked Zack with an eye roll. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"I have more good news, then" Sabin continued, getting to his feet. "We're almost out of water. I'll go see if there's a stream nearby." With that, the monk passed two pieces of the dried meat to Zack, then walked off into the woods. Hearing the faint babbling of water nearby thanks to his enhanced senses, Zack was assured he'd be back soon.

"Here," said Zack, tossing a portion of the food to Shadow. The ninja caught it deftly, inspecting it briefly before unwrapping it and feeding it to his dog. The doberman ate it quickly and licked the assassin's black-wrapped hand in appreciation.

Zack raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to eat?"

"He needs to eat too," Shadow replied, gesturing to his companion.

Zack was about to reply to that when the fire flared suddenly to illuminate the man's face, and a thought dawned on him. "And to eat, you'd have to take off your mask." The assassin's eyes narrowed, and Zack raised his hands with a shrug. "Hey, just stating a fact. I'm actually trying to get along here."

Shadow chose not to react to that, instead going back to staring at the fire. A moment of silence passed before Zack spoke up again. "So what's his name?" The assassin looked up, questioningly. "Your dog," he clarified, nodding to the animal.

A sound came from Shadow that was something like a grunt crossed with a growl. Zack assumed that meant he didn't feel like answering. But sure enough, a few seconds later, an answer came. "Interceptor." At the sound of its name, the dog raised his head, alert, but then relaxed when he saw that his master didn't need anything from him.

"Really?" Zack tilted his head and looked at the dog. "How'd you come up with that?" This time he received a glare from the shrouded man. Zack sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Fine. It's a cool name anyway."

Just then, a loud rustling could be heard behind Zack, making Interceptor raise his head with a quiet 'ruf'. Zack turned around just in time to see Sabin come into the clearing, balancing their water bottles in his arms. "Better watch out, Sabin," Zack quipped. "The dog thinks you're a bear."

Sabin chuckled. "That wouldn't be a first. Just be glad I'm not a mug bear."

Zack laughed, raising a brow. "A what?"

"A mug bear. They live up in Mt. Zozo, stealing gil from innocent travelers."

Zack laughed harder, holding his stomach and doubling over where he sat. "Oh really?"

The monk crossed his arms. "I'm serious, Zack! One day you'll have all your gil stolen by one, and you'll be sorry. I seriously won't save you."

Zack grinned and turned back to the fire. "Mmmm-hm."

With that, Sabin turned to the only other being available to come to his defense. "Shadow! You know I'm right!" Sabin may as well have been talking to the dog. Almost a minute passed as the ninja continued to run his fingers over Interceptor's fur, then he rose, grabbed one of his throwing daggers, and left the campsite. After another moment, the canine got up and trotted after him into the dark. "...Well then..."

Zack chuckled. "Sorry man, I think he's used up all his words for today." There was a pause. "Wait...he's not actually leaving us, is he?"

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

All that day, Cloud waited in the hope that the army would leave him behind. Though he had not seen Kefka at all since the soldiers left on the attack, there was still a good deal of noise in the camp, and guards still patrolled the areas outside.

It was almost night when the blonde's hopes were dashed. The attack squad came staggering into the camp with the last light of the day, silent and frustrated. Not to mention obviously beaten. Still, Cloud listened in as the commander gave his report to the two generals.

"It was that one Doman again, sir! Every time we got close to breaching the castle walls, he'd rally a new force against us! He was everywhere at once!"

"Oh? So you just gave up and came crying home to mummy?"

"Kefka...this is a serious issue. We lost many soldiers today."

A too-familiar, shrill laugh was heard. "Leo, Leo...that's only small casualties. Small beans, that!"

At that point, the commander broke in again. "What do we do, sir? The men have lost their morale."

There was a pause, and Cloud could imagine General Leo sighing. "I'll talk to them. We'll renew the attack as soon as the new team is ready."

Here there was slight rustling, and a long pause. Soon after, two figures, one of which Cloud recognized as Leo, the other the commander, walked by in front of his tent.

Just then, however, Kefka's voice brought Cloud back to attention. "Idiot! Foolish, foolish Leo! I'll give you one more chance, then I take matters into my own hands..."

* * *

><p><em>Soooo...More Celes and Locke! :) They'll be in next week's chapter too. <em>

_And Shadow's being...Shadow. But at least he had an actual conversation, sort of! :) And Interceptor now has his name! (and Zack's reaction was much like mine when I first encountered the mug bears of Mt. Zozo. Seriously, __wth? lol. And that will come more into play later... ;) )_

_And those of you who know FFVI...you know what Kefka's planning...but I'd like to have suspense for those who don't know. ;) Hehhe. _

_Til next week! _


	20. ---Author's Note!

Hey everyone! I apologize for my long absence- I promise I'm not dead! :) And I have not abandoned this story! I've been setting aside all my other projects because of my original story- its the first story of mine to be followed through on and I'm nearly finished with the first draft! :D (over 350 pages, handwritten :) ...you can probably tell I'm excited!) I'll probably have that done within two weeks, and then I'll be able to focus on this fanfic again. I have big plans for it! B) (I sure hope you're excited...if anyone's still out there! :P ;) )

While we all wait, however, I'd like to take a survey of sorts...just something small, I promise! ;) And you don't have to do it, obviously. But it would definitely help me with this a lot! It is, after all, me only fanfic ever.

Characters- how am I doing with them? (scale of 1-10. Just general characterization, interaction with other characters, etc. Specifically Zack, Cloud, Edgar, Sabin, Terra, Locke, Celes, Shadow. And Kefka, if you have the time! ;) )

Story- room for improvement? Do you think I rush things? Scale of 1-10- 1 being I botched the thing, 10 being no room for improvement..

Thanks everyone, for your patience! ^_^ You guys are all awesome, and I love to hear from you! It makes my day. :)

P.S.- I sincerely apologize that this is not a chapter! Chapter 20 is actually in the works...I worked on it a bit during the drive back my Florida a few days ago. First scene is finished! :)


	21. From Here On Out

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

It was with a sigh of relief that Locke took the first steps into the South Figaro caves. Now closer to the desert capital of Figaro, the heat of the noonday sun had beaten down on the two travelers with an unrelenting intensity.

Grass gave way to rock, and the air became stale but cool. While Locke descended deeper into the underground passage, Celes followed with a curious expression, turning her head to take in her new surroundings.

Looking back briefly before keeping his eyes to the dank gray rock ahead, Locke gave the former general a wink and a grin. "Don't worry, miss! I've hunted for treasure in hundreds of caves like this! You're in the hands of an expert."

Instead of laughter, or a smile, an indignant huff reached the man's ears from behind. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much."

"Geez...do you ever lighten up?" Locke muttered under his breath, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Can't take a joke..."

They continued in silence for a full minute before Locke heard a series of scuffling noises, prompting him to stop and hold out a hand for his companion to do so as well. Just as she did, a single Bleary dragged itself around the corner. "Watch out," warned Locke, "There's a-"

"Blizzard," recited Celes calmly, holding out her hand.

"Wha-?" Locke was silenced when the monster suddenly found itself incased in ice, which burst into tiny glittering shards. He turned to stare at Celes, who now looked back at him cooly, and perhaps with a hint of smugness. "Magitek Knight, huh?" he grumbled finally, sheathing the knife that now seemed impossibly tiny.

"Is that what you were planning to use against it?" There was a hint of amusement in her voice as she gestured at his weapon of choice.

"Shut up."

But it was now that Celes seemed to grow a funny bone. "Unless you were planning on trimming its fur, or-"

"I can handle myself in a cave!" Locke snapped suddenly, whirling around with fists clenched. "I don't need anyone to protect me!"

At this, Celes fell silent, her face falling back into an expression as stony as the surrounding walls. "...of course." With that, she turned on her heel and strode ahead, passing Locke with her head held high.

As soon as she turned the corner that the Bleary had come from, Locke let out a frustrated grunt and flung his knife at the wall, where it clattered unsatisfyingly on the rock and moss. Running a hand through his already messy hair, he then sighed and picked up his weapon. He stared at it for a moment before following the blonde Magitek Knight through the tunnel.

~/*\~

Silence stretched between the two as they walked, carefully picking their way across the slick stone and underground streams. Every once in a while, Celes would turn to stare suspiciously at the thief, as if expecting him to detonate like some sort of explosive.

They dispatched each enemy quickly and efficiently, Celes beginning to use the long sword at her side after a good many battles. They'd just finished off another pack of Cartagras when words finally broke though Celes' pursed lips. "Look, we should stop soon. It's probably getting late, due to the fact we arrived at the caves in the early afternoon." When her suggestion was met with silence, she huffed again and stopped in front of him, hands on her hips. "What's your problem? If you didn't want-"

Celes was startled into silence when Locke's attention suddenly snapped off the cave floor, eyes fixed on the area behind her. "Watch out!" he yelled, pushing her to the side.

The former general stumbled back, noticing her surroundings just in time to watch Locke get swatted to the opposite wall. Drawing her sword, Celes charged the Gold Bear, slicing through layers of fur and eliciting an enraged roar from the animal.

Jumping back to avoid the swipe of sharp claws, she cast a quick Ice spell that silenced the monster forever.

Then, almost dropping the blade in her haste, she approached the fallen Locke and practically slapped the man awake. And as soon as his eyes opened, the Knight grabbed two fistfuls of his jacket and shook him until his head whipped back and forth. "You idiot! Why the hell did you do that?! You could have gotten killed, with a stupid act like that! What a rash, foolhardy, cliche thing to do!" By the end of her rant, her face was a bright, angry red. Locke drew himself up farther to sit against the wall, wincing and hissing at the pain it drew from the slash wounds on his chest. Celes let go of him, brought back to rationality by the reality of pain, and quietly cast Cure on the man before her.

Long seconds dragged on in silence while the magic healed Locke. Celes paced agitatedly. Finally, Locke ventured a few words. "So are you mad because I'm wounded, or because your pride is wounded?"

The blonde warrior shot a glare at him. "Don't do that again. I don't have to be protected either!" Locke returned her gaze, and the two stared each other down for a bit before Celes slumped down on the wall next to him. "I suppose we're making camp here then..."

"Fine with me," Locke replied simply, unslinging his pack and placing it before them. Celes did the same, though no fire was made. Both were too worn out.

For a few minutes they ate in silence, though not as tense as the previous times. When their rations were finished, both sat back side by side against the wall- damp and in the dark. They could hardly make out each other's facial features in the fading light.

Celes was almost asleep before Locke's quiet voice almost startled her awake. "I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier."

She turned to look at him, squinting in the darkness, staring back ahead with a frown when she could hardly make anything out. "...Apology accepted."

She suppressed a glare when she heard him snort. "You don't have to be so serious all the time, you know."

Celes looked down at her hands, lips pressed in a thin line. "I don't know what else to be," she said quietly. Locke almost missed the words. He kept silent, not sure if he was even supposed to hear them. "What about you?" she asked suddenly, shifting slightly to face him. "You said earlier that I remind you of someone. Who was it?"

Locke sat very still, staring at something that didn't seem to be there. The only sound heard for a while was the steady drip of water from stone to stone. "Someone...very important to me."

"Oh...What-"

"I don't feel like talking about it," Locke interrupted quietly, facing away and resting his head on his knees.

Celes cleared her throat, folding her hands neatly in her lap. "Very well, then."

After a minute, Locke peeked at her from his curled position. A slight smile lit his face. "Goodnight."

He only got a grunt in response, as she settled into a more comfortable position, but Locke fell asleep feeling warm in the darkness.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

The water of the Lete River now lapped gently against its banks, providing the travelers with a safe place to dock. Terra looked around wonderingly at the new surroundings while Edgar and Banon dragged their raft up to higher ground. Cliffs rose more steeply now on the paths- chilled air rushing down from the mountains of Narshe and bringing with it a dusting of light snowflakes that drifted down haphazardly. Terra rubbed her hands along her bare arms, the cold serving as a biting reminder that she was not dressed for such a climate.

She whipped her head around immediately, however, when she heard Edgar let out a curse followed by a dull thud that shook rocks loose and sent them skittering across the stone. Her eyes found him as he cradled his left hand in his right with a slight pout that made Terra smile without realizing it.

Edgar noticed and dropped his hand, sauntering towards her with a wink. "Well, I'm glad you've found amusement, albeit at the cost of my suffering," He tried to snatch up her hand for a light kiss but Terra pulled it out of reach with a blush, looking away. Edgar took it in stride with a shrug and a grin. "It's a small price to pay for your happiness, m'lady."

"Knock it off," called Banon gruffly from where he was now retrieving their quite wet belongings. "You're not in your castle anymore. You need to be able to handle a few splinters."

Edgar frowned at the angry red line now spanning across his palm, but then his gaze found its way to the green-haired girl's own small hand. "Why Terra, you must be cold!" Before she could protest, the machinist retrieved his royal blue cape from one of the drier packs, draping it around her small shoulders. It was surprisingly warm, but then, so was she.

"Um...thanks, but I...I'm not really all that cold," she said, trying not to sound ungrateful. "I don't really get cold that much."

Edgar raised a brow, but made no move to reclaim his belonging. "Huh..." he mused, resting his chin in his hand. "Perhaps it has to do with the magic. That was Fire magic, after all."

Remembering the previous fuss, Terra blushed awkwardly at the mention of that specific incident. "Maybe," she muttered quietly. She looked down for a moment before shrugging off the cape and trying to hand it back.

Edgar, however, only waved his hand dismissively with his charismatic smile. "I'd be honored if you kept it, dear Terra. It only gets colder from here on out."

As he walked away, the green-haired girl again directed her gaze northward in the direction of the chilly mining town, memories from when she first woke up flooding her mind. Could she really find answers here? What did that Esper have to do with her? Why could she use magic when the others couldn't? There were so many questions, and so little answers.

* * *

><p>Well, I'm back! :D I've now finished the first draft of my original story, and am feeling quite accomplished! (then on to draft two..;P lol)<p>

But I really can't wait for you guys to see the rest of this story! ^_^ I have so much stuff planned, if you all stick around! I'm pretty excited! :)

Oh, and Irish Brigid accidentally gave me another horribly evil idea! Even more evil than the last one! Hehehe...but she doesn't even know it yet... (yes, it was when you answered my question.. :) )

Until next week! Because I'll be out of school for the summer! And I'll have time to to stuff! :D


	22. Anticipation

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Shadow's soft shoes made little to no noise on the dry grass, years of experience letting him walk lightly without giving a second thought, which was important in his line of work.

Four padded paws made a slight rustling beside him, but he didn't mind the noise too much. Interceptor stuck to his side like a shadow, the dog's dark colors blending into the early morning grey as well as his own.

Finishing off the last bits of meat and fruit that he had scavenged, the mercenary secured his mask tightly in place when he saw the spark of a campfire being extinguished ahead. He could easily hear the voices of his two traveling companions from this distance, though they seemed to believe they were talking quietly.

For a minute he stood silently on the edge of the camp, blending into the trees' shade and regarding the two loud men before him. One, the runaway prince of one of the world's greatest kingdoms, and the other a talkative man with eyes too bright to be natural. Shadow's own eyes narrowed. There was something about this man that was off. The way he never seemed to relax completely, like something was missing or unfinished. His ignorance of even the world's basic knowledge. For a man who was obviously a fighter, one would think he would know a bit about the monster population. A feeling tugged at the assassin's mind; an uncomfortable and now foreign sensation. As much as he hated to admit it, this unlikely group had awakened his curiosity.

Only a short time had passed before Shadow felt his canine companion nudge his hand impatiently, breathing a dog-like huff while looking towards where the two men were preparing to leave, munching on the morning's provisions as they did so. The shrouded man reached down to scratch Interceptor's ears, and the dog leaned into it a moment before trotting into the ring of light, Shadow following behind him.

Zack and Sabin looked up with surprise, pausing their conversation. "Where have _you_ been?" Sabin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Zack, who had been laying on his sleeping bag with his arms behind his head, now sat up and crossed his arms. "Yeah man, you can't just run off like that. We were ready to leave without you, if you didn't show in the next ten minutes. Then we'd have to find our own way." There was a hint of irritation in his voice.

Shadow just shrugged, seating himself in his previous position. "I did some scouting," he offered. "We should reach the Imperial camp sometime tomorrow."

"Huh," Zack mused, running a hand though his black hair and letting out a loud breath. "Any plans for getting through, or around, the base? Sneaking is fine by me, and I'm sure you're up to it, Shadow."

No answer came from the assassin, but Sabin laughed, giving a wink. "I notice you didn't mention me. I wonder why..."

"If you can be quiet enough, you should be fine," Shadow ground out.

"Hey!" Sabin braced his hands on his hips defiantly. "I can be quiet!"

One of the old apples bounced off the martial artist's head. "Pack your stuff," Zack retorted.

The two shared another chuckle and gathered the remaining items strewn about, and soon all that was left of their small camp was the still-smoldering ruins of their campfire.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Celes glanced sidelong at her companion for the umpteenth time, noting again the change that had occurred in him once they had entered their rather dank place of travel. He would often jump at the smallest noises, and the normally talkative man was reduced to long, drawn out silences.

She snapped her eyes forward again when Locke began to return her gaze. She was a general, and not to be too concerned with the average soldier's welfare. Even so, her eyes couldn't seem to listen to her demands. She frowned when her gaze caught on the growing grin on the man's face. "What?" she shot out, narrowing her eyes.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he shrugged his shoulders and puffed out his chest exaggeratedly in a pose that Celes assumed was supposed to be handsome. "Oh, nothing," he replied innocently.

The former general rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her. "You are the strangest man I have ever met..."

"Huh." He kept his eyes ahead, carefully scanning the grey shadows. "Thanks," he replied absently, a hint of sarcasm edging his voice.

It was not long afterwards that the two came across a clear, clean underground spring. They refilled their water bottles there and rested a bit after Locke confirmed that they were nearly free of South Figaro's dark tunnels.

The young thief lay on the stone with his arms pillowing his head behind him as he watched Celes alternate between pacing slowly and leaning against the wall. It would seem he wasn't the only one feeling restless in those circumstances. Locke closed his eyes for a minute, temporarily blocking out the dancing waves of light reflecting off the face of the water. "Just about ten minutes and I'm outta here," he muttered to himself before sitting up and considering his companion. "Hey," he finally called, causing her to turn towards him. "...Why did you leave the Empire anyway? You never told me why."

Celes was silent for a minute before answering in a quieter voice. "Their version of morality, or the lack of it, became something I could no longer swallow."

_It took you that long to see it? _The thought did not reach Locke's lips. Instead, he asked, "What happened?"

The former general's eyes hardened like steel, the sharp intensity returning. "More like what they are going to do." She continued pacing for a second, then packed away her water bottle as if signaling it was time to go. "Kefka...had large containers of poison shipped down to the battlefront. Once he's done with Doma, he'll head for Narshe, to get the Esper. You'll need my help there."

Locke sprung to his feet, eyes wide. "What?! How could- and you knew he was heading the same direction we were? How can you not tell me these things?"

"It's not like I've known you for more than a few days!" she shot back, defensive.

Locke quickly gathered himself and began striding towards the cave's exit. "We have to go. We need to let the others know before-"

The treasure hunter was rudely interrupted when the ground began to shake violently, a loud rumbling filling their ears.

* * *

><p><em>Eheh...what was I saying about being able to update consistently? *cough* Well, at least it's still the next week! Wait...or not. My brain's not quite on right now. ^_^ But here you have the first Shadow POV! He's not a very emotional man at this point, so I hope that went okay. :) I do love me some Shadow...though Cloud still holds the 'favorite' throne. I can't wait til he's back in action! :D Which is soon! Because IMPERIAL CAMP IS ALMOST HERE! hehehe.<em>

_And on the other hand...upcoming boss battle for Celes and Locke! And we find out some Imperial plans that Celes didn't tell Locke for some reason! *gasp!* ...You know, I can't wait until I actually have some real plot going on. -_- These transition chapters are killing me... :P_

_So here's your options, folks- Do you want the Imperial Camp next, or the Tunnel Armor battle? (Imperial camp would take up the whole chapter, because it's pretty huge, and the Tunnel Armor battle would finish up the Celes and Locke scenario.)_


	23. Chink in the Armor

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

Locke's hand quickly shot out to steady himself on the cool gray stone, glancing about quickly to determine the source of the thunderous noise.

"Something's coming out of the wall!" yelled Celes, drawing her sword. The thief stared at the patch of wall ahead where more and more rocks began tumbling to the floor, stalactites breaking off and shattering on the stone below. Soon enough, the wall crumbled beneath the great force, revealing a large machine sporting two claw-like drills that glinted in the watered-down light. It emerged from the wall with a final roar, tracking towards the two slowly but steadily. "Tunnel Armor," the Magitek Knight confirmed with a grimace. "One of the Empire's weapons."

Locke alternated glancing between the machine and the comparatively tiny dagger that he gripped tightly in his hands. The two found themselves being backed up down their previous path, as they looked for any sort of opening. "Have any ideas for defeating it?" he shouted back.

He looked over briefly to see Celes still fixated on their enemy. "A few..._Hn_!" Celes grunted as she and Locke dove in opposite directions to avoid the claw that had shot out and crunched into the wall behind them, sending down a shower of dust and rock.

Thinking quickly, Locke leapt onto the arm of the claw as it dislodged itself from the stone. Knife in hand, he ran swiftly to the machine's main body, digging his knife into the circuits and connecting tubes that were exposed in the arm's joint. Electricity crackled and sparked as the thief retrieved his weapon, feeling the jolt of it travel in a wave through his body. Gasping as he hit the ground, Locke rolled somewhat clumsily as the enemy lurched forward in an attempt to run him over.

He found himself near Celes again, who had already frozen the other drill arm with a Blizzard spell. Now both arms had been drawn in, and to Locke's surprise, the spark of electricity only seemed to intensify, gathering in the front of the machine. "Stay away!" Celes yelled, holding out her hand as he ran towards her. He skidded to a stop. "I can draw its magic attack with my Runic Blade!"

"What? Will you be okay?"

She dropped into a ready stance, eyes again fixed on her opponent. "Just you watch!"

No sooner had she finished speaking when a loud crackling was heard, and the gathered magic was released into the tunnel. Celes held up the sword high above her head, and a flash of light ran through it. The spell streaked towards her, lightning arching through the air before connecting with the blade with a snap of thunder. Through the following flash of light, Locke could see a green glow much like a Cure surround Celes while the magic was absorbed, and a few of the cuts she had received closed up and disappeared.

The Magitek Knight broke the trance Locke seemed to be in by rushing forward again and hacking at the joint of the arm she had frozen. He attempted to get back in the fray by jumping onto the Tunnel Armor's main body, but was knocked to the ground with a pained grunt by the twitching arm that was trying to get at Celes.

She saw it coming just in time, dodging away so that it tore across her shoulder rather than skewer her with its drill. She let out a sharp cry and stumbled back, hand hovering over the injury as if unsure whether to apply pressure. The thief's attention snapped to her, and he called her name as he got to his feet.

"Locke!" she yelled, making sure he met her eyes. She then tossed her sword with a short underhand throw, and he ducked under the whirling drill to catch it. The drill then bore down on him, and he raised the sword on instinct. It grated against the side of the drill for a moment, making his heart catch in his throat and wild sparks fly. Then he pushed off it and nearly got run over again before he realized that the thick tire was incased in ice. He stopped and looked at Celes, who nodded once before firing another spell at the last remaining drill arm.

Using the frozen part as leverage, Locke swung himself onto the top of the Magitek Tunnel Armor, and drove the sword deep into the wires and sensitive machinery within.

The Armor shook and sputtered, lurching a bit before smoking and lying still. Soon the only sound was the steady drip of water, loose stone fragments falling, and the now heavier breathing of the two companions.

Celes' shuffling footsteps echoed as she sat again by the underground spring, green light washing over her as a Cure spell took effect. Locke came to crouch a few feet away from her, looking her over with concern. "You okay?" he asked as he slid the sword back over to her. "Thanks for letting me borrow, by the way."

"I'll be fine," she replied, raising her chin a bit. She reaching out to reclaim her sword but stopped with a wince at the pain the movement caused her shoulder. "Tore through the muscle," she said, catching Locke's look. "The Cure did most of the work, so it'll heal on its own in no time." Just to be safe, she cast another Cure, and ignoring the twinge this time, Celes sheathed her sword and stood. "We already rested. Let's go."

Locke took a few steps towards the exit before turning back and frowning a bit. "Are you sure? That was a nasty cut."

Celes almost shrugged before she thought better of it. "I've had worse. I was a general, after all." She began to climb over the half-frozen Tunnel Armor, glancing back at Locke with an ever-so-slight smile. "Come on, let's hurry to Narshe!"

Returning the smile, Locke nodded vigorously and followed her out of the cave and into the bright sunlight, feeling the weight on his chest ease as they emerged from the oppressive tunnels. Now they just had to reach Narshe in time to warn the others...

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

There was one thought that blessedly blocked out all the less desirable ones from Cloud's mind. It was a hot day. The sun shone unhindered in the summer sky...or at least that's what the prisoner could assume. The heat dried the ground, which rose in clouds of dust at the trampling of feet. Cloud shifted his dry tongue around in his mouth, trying to alleviate the taste of dirt and the painful sore throat he was quickly developing. The soldiers had not delivered any food or drink yet that day. He deduced that, yet again, something big was going down. It was only later that day when he found out what. General Leo's new assault team had come back defeated yet again.

Only then did the lack of visits from Kefka send a shiver down Cloud's spine.

~/*VII*\~/*VI*\~

The gradual transition from the tickle of grass to the crunch of snow heralded the near proximity of Narshe, the Coal Mining City. Banon led the way as Terra followed, Edgar bringing up the rear with his Tools at the ready, crossbow pointed into the swirling mists of snow around them. "See those lights up ahead?" said the leader of the Returners, pointing to the many vague dots glowing on the mountainside above while turning his head to look back at them. "We're almost there!"

Terra smiled a bit at the sense of familiarity that washed over her. Here was something that she actually remembered and recognized. Now she could at least thank that man who had helped her before. _Arvis,_ she reminded herself, clinging to the information like she did with everything else left in her mind.

Soon the small pinpricks of light grew into crackling fires, and cookie-cutter light streamed from the rectangular windows. The arch that now loomed before them marked the entrance into the town, and was the only gap in a high fence that branched off to either side, ending where the mountain terrain rose steeply in both directions.

Five guards could be seen just inside the arch, two standing guard and three sitting nearby, sipping steaming drinks and talking amongst themselves by the fire. However, all of them snapped to attention when the three Returners came into sight and out of the swirling snow.

Edgar put on his most charming smile and placed his Tools back in its place on his belt. "Greetings, my friends! You have an inn where we can stay the night?"

One of the guards was about to answer when he caught sight of Terra. He immediately froze, his whole demeanor turning as icy and angry as he surrounding landscape. "It's her!" he shouted, pointing an accusing finger and drawing his rifle with his other hand. "It's the Imperial soldier!"

Seeing the situation quickly spiral out of hand, Edgar stepped in front of Terra and spread his arms in what he hoped was a pacifying gesture. "She most certainly is not! This woman is with us, the Returners!"

For all his efforts, Edgar only got two rifles aimed directly at him. "Narshe is a neutral city!" One of the guards replied. "We want nothing to do with either!"

Banon chose that point to cut in. "Surely you have had more Returners enter the city recently?"

The guards glared at him. "If so, they've done so against the will of Narshe's law enforcement."

Edgar's eyes narrowed. "But you're still under Figaro's jurisdiction."

The guard let out a short guffaw. "Not like anyone's here to enforce that!"

"I am the King of Figaro!"

"Yeah, and I'm Emperor Gesthal."

By that time at least four other guards had arrived at the entrance. Banon took Edgar and Terra by the shoulder and began to lead them away. Edgar looked back at the entrance contemptuously and saw them still staring at them, making sure that the intruders were leaving. "You know, we still need to get into Narshe, Banon."

"But not that way!" shot the Returner. "We're lucky that Terra wasn't arrested on the spot."

Terra looked at the ground, not meeting her companion's eyes. "I'm so sorry. You'd be able to get in if not for me."

Banon hardly glanced at her before shaking his head. "We'll just have to find another way."

It took a moment, but Terra's eyes suddenly brightened. "Locke and I escaped Narshe through the mine tunnels! If I could remember where the hidden exit is..."

Edgar snapped his fingers. "...we'll be free to come and go as we wish!" He laughed and winked at Terra. "I do love a woman with beauty _and _brains." The green-haired girl blushed and looked at the ground as Banon cuffed the young king on the back of the head.

* * *

><p><em>Yeah, yeah. I know it's way too short to make up for a two-month-long wait. The worst part is that I can't promise a faster update this time. But on the upside, the Locke and Celes scenario is done, so I can definitely promise that next chapter is the moment we (or at least I) have been waiting for. :) Can somebody say, "Cloud"? ;)<em>

_I know that everyone says this, but I do appreciate every little review I get, and the more I get, the more I'll be inspired to write. I'm a very vain and fragile author! Lol. I need a ton of backup to keep a project going. If I didn't have my best friend calling me every other day and coercing me to work on my original story, it never would've gotten past the first few chapters. So what I'm saying is...I need your help! All of you readers out there! I have great plans, but I'm scraping the bottom of the inspiration barrel. I don't want to give up on this yet!_

_One last question- Do you think having a beta reader will motivate me to get chapters done faster? Or are they just for sending in a chapter to get proofread? Is it too late to get one? (I'm considering finding a beta reader, obviously. :) )_

_See you guys again soon, I hope! Maybe Cloud will inspire me to write faster...I want him in the action so badly!_


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